IDENTITY STATEMENT
Reference code(s): GB 0402 DC
Held at: Royal Geographical Society
Title: RGS DIRECTORS CORRESPONDENCE
Date(s): 1947 onwards
Level of description: Collection (fonds)
Extent: approx. 430 linear Metres
Name of creator(s): Royal Geographical Society
CONTEXT
Administrative/Biographical history:
The Royal Geographical Society (RGS) was founded in 1830 as the Royal Geographical Society of London. Its aim was the advancement of Geographical Science. The Society was granted a Royal Charter by Queen Victoria in 1859. In 1995 the RGS merged with the Institute of British Geographers (IBG) to create the Royal Geographical Society (with the Institute of British Geographers).
CONTENT
Scope and content/abstract:
Director's Correspondence collection, 1947 onwards, consists of correspondence with the Society since 1947. The material consists of communication with the Director's Office, both incoming and out-going letters, covering a wide range of administrative matters and geographical subjects. Files may contain a variety of printed items such as journal off prints, lecture bills and photographs.
ACCESS AND USE
Language/scripts of material: Mainly English, but a few items may be in other, mainly European, languages.
System of arrangement:
Directors Correspondence Collection is filed alphabetically by subject or author in chronological order, annually or bi-annually; this Series has not yet been listed in detail.
Conditions governing access:
Material less than 20 years old is closed access.
Accessed via the Foyle Reading Room. Free of charge for Fellows, Members and those with valid academic identification. All other users pay a charge and must bring identification in order to register on arrival.
Conditions governing reproduction:
Photocopying at Archivist's discretion, and subject to completion of 'application for copies' form. No reproduction or publication without permission of the RGS-IBG Archivist. Please note that in more recent cases copyright of the author may need to be sought.
Physical characteristics:
A mixture of handwritten and typescript items.
Finding aids:
No finding aids at present. Contact Archives Officer for enquiries about this material.
ARCHIVAL INFORMATION
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling information:
Until about 1910 virtually all of the Society's correspondence has been kept, after 1910 correspondence has been weeded. More recently only the Director's correspondence and some other important files have been kept as part of this series, other Departments have pursued their own records management policies.
Accruals:
Archival history:
Directors Correspondence Collection is a continuation from RGS Correspondence Blocks, 1830-1946. In 1947 there was a shift in organisational structure of the material. In most cases the items were sent to the RGS directly by their authors and have remained with the Society ever since.
Immediate source of acquisition:
Transferred directly from Director's Office to Archives.
ALLIED MATERIALS
Existence and location of originals:
Existence and location of copies:
Related material:
RGS Correspondence Blocks.
Publication note:
DESCRIPTION NOTES
Note:
Archivist's note: Prepared by Huw Thomas, Archives Assistant using existing records and modified by Sarah Strong, Archives Officer.
Date(s) of descriptions: 9th June 2000 and modified May 2008.