S&SWM PR papers L894

Melbury Lodge | Wimborne | 7 July 1892

Dear Sir,

As I am told that you have a Museum you may like to know that I have a quantity of Curiosities which I wish to dispose of before I leave this House next month.

I have many S. African and Soudan assegais, shields, and ornaments & utensils as well as knives, daggers, and more like things from the Crimea, India and West Coast of Africa, with many natural curiosities from different countries.

If you think it worth while to come here to see them I should be glad to part with them for a small sum - rather than drag them about with me -

I have a very [insert] fine [end insert] collection of exotic [illegible] and [illegible], as well as a splendid lot of dried exotic ferms, but I do not know if any of those things are of interest to you.

I would gladly send my carriage to meet any train at Wimborne Station my home is an [2 words illegible] a short mile from the station

You will I am sure excuse my writing to you as Collectors are often very pleased to hear of [illegible] thins being in the market

Yrs faithfully
John Randall *
Colonel

It does not seem that Pitt-Rivers acquired this collection

* The signature looks more like Mandah, but this site suggests that is Randall, judging by references to Colonel Randall at Melbury Lodge in 1891.

Transcribed for Rethinking Pitt-Rivers project by AP June 2011