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Correspondence and Papers of Lord Macmillan, 1936-1947, comprising correspondence, memoranda and reports relating to the Trustees of the Natural History Museum and their work. Items 1 and 2 are concerned with the committee on accommodation that Macmillan chaired in 1935 and which reported to the Trustees in 1936, while later items relate to such matters as the Trustees response to the critical memorial by J Graham Kerr, MP, (1945-1946), C Forster Cooper's memorandum on the future development of the Museum (1943) and the crisis over the choice of his successor as Director (1946).

Papers of the Department of Botany comprising: DF400 Botany Departmental correspondence;
DF401 Registers of Botany departmental correspondence;
DF402 Botany finance and accounts;
DF403 Botany Reports to Trustees and other official documents;
DF404 Keeper of Botany's correspondence and papers;
DF405 Papers of the editors of the Journal of Botany;
DF406 Keeper of Botany's subject files;
DF407 Keeper of Botany's Staff Files and Official Diaries;
DF408 Botany Annual Reports of Progress;
DF409 Exhibitions in the Botany Gallery;
DF410 Biographical index by Britten, Boulger and Rendle, papers;
DF411 The Island of Mull (1978), data sheets, papers and correspondence;
DF412 Botany Departmental visitors' books;
DF413 Botany Acquisition and loan records;
DF414 Parcel Books;
DF415 Equipment Registers and Collecting Materials;
DF420 Correspondence and Papers of Antony Gepp;
DF421 Agal Section correspondence and papers;
DF422 Diatom Section correspondence and papers;
DF423 Lichen Section correspondence and papers;
DF424 Fern Section correspondence and papers;
DF425 Mycology Section correspondence and papers;
DF426 Cryptogamic Herbarium Visitors Books;
DF427 Cryptogamic Herbarium Accession Records;

DF440 General Herbarium Correspondence and Papers;
DF441 General Herbarium visitors books;
DF442 European Herbarium correspondence and papers;
DF443 European Herbarium visitors' books;
DF444 British Herbarium tract collection manuscripts;
DF445 British Herbarium, papers associated with plant collections;
DF460 Botany Library Accession Records;
DF461 Botany Librarian's correspondence.

Papers of the Exhibition Section and the Education Section of the Natural History Museum, 1939-1983, comprising: DF700 Exhibition Section Project Files; DF701 Exhibition Section Internal Administration; and DF702 Education Section Files.

Papers of the Department of Zoology comprising: DF200 Keeper of Zoology's correspondence and files;
DF201 Keeper of Zoology's out-letters;
DF202 Department of Zoology: Keeper's miscellaneous documents;
DF203 Keeper of Zoology's wartime papers and memoranda;
DF204 Registers and indexes of Zoology departmental correspondence;
DF205 Zoology Reports to Trustees and other official documents;
DF206 Keeper of Zoology's subject files;
DF207 Zoology Departmental finance and accounts;
DF208 Keeper of Zoology's staff files and official diaries;
DF209 Zoology reports of progress, monthly and annual;
DF210 Keeper of Zoology's building and accommodation files;
DF211 Keeper of Zoology's publication files;
DF212 Keeper of Zoology's confidential files;
DF213 Keeper of Zoology's expedition files;
DF214 Keeper of Zoology's Great Barrier Reef Expedition files;
DF215 Keeper of Zoology's John Murray Expeditions files;
DF216 Zoology Acquisition, loan and exchange records;
DF217 Artwork for publication;
DF218 Zoology Accessions Registers;
DF219 Collection Catalogues;
DF220 Zoology Departmental Visitors Books;
DF230 Bird Section correspondence;
DF231 Vertebrate Section reports to Trustees and other official documents;
DF232 Mammal Section correspondence;
DF233 Fish Section correspondence;
DF234 Osteology Section subject files;
DF235 Reptile Section correspondence;
DF250 Invertebrate Section correspondence and papers;
DF251 Invertebrate Section reports to Trustees and other official documents;
DF252 Crustacea Section correspondence;
DF253 Coelenterata Section correspondence;
DF254 Mollusca Section correspondence;
DF255 Arachnida Section correspondence;
DF256 Crustacea Section research papers;
DF257 Coelenterata Section research papers;
DF258 Coelenterata Section collection records;
DF259 Parasitic Worms Section correspondence;
DF260 Sponge Section correspondence;
DF261 Bryozoa Section correspondence;
DF262 Invertebrate sections visitors books;
DF263 Sponge Section, photographs and artwork for publication;
DF264 Echinodermata and Protochordata Section correspondence;
DF265 Annelida Section Correspondence and Papers;
DF266 Echinodermata and Protochordata Section research papers;
DF270 Zoology Library accession records;
DF271 Zoology Library correspondence and memoranda;
DF272 Zoology Library catalogues and related material.

The Photograph Collection contains images of the galleries, exhibits, staff and visitors from the time of the opening of the Museum onwards.

Papers of the Ray Society, 1939-1985, comprising: RS1 Secretary's Correspondence;
RS2 Secretary's subject files;
RS3 Treasurer's files and papers and

RS4 Book Reviews and other printed ephemera.

Papers of the Anti-Locust Research Centre, c 1850-2002, principally comprising: locust report forms, narrative reports, survey reports, control campaign reports; cables, letters, transcripts; organisation and committee papers; bulletins, abstracts, memoirs; indexes, registers, catalogues; field note books and records; synoptic meteorological and hydrological data and reports; photographs and slides; films and microfilms.

Key components of the archive are: the report forms, cable messages and supporting correspondence detailing records of locusts and locust activity, spanning over 100 years of sightings; the long runs of meteorological data used in conjunction with locust reports that enable forecasts of future locust activity to be made; the large collection of maps (estimated at 18,000 items) recording locust sightings and distributions, and meteorological data such as temperature, rainfall and humidity. The same locust event is often described in several different documents, and information taken from several reports combined with meteorological and habitat data is required to build up a complete picture of the original observation. The large collection of photographs and slides (an estimated combined total of 15,000 items) provides a valuable pictorial record of locust research and control, and of the people involved and places visited. The archive holds information on locust records spanning nearly 3,500 years. The earlier dates are from analyses of historical documents that contain records of locust plagues.

Minutes, correspondence and papers of the Huxley Memorial Committee, including two out of three volumes of minutes of the various Huxley committees kept by G B Howes, into which are pasted printed papers, newscuttings, notes and letters. There is also a volume containing a complete set of the printed notice produced by the committees at different times. The whereabouts of the third minute book is unknown.

Administrative and financial records of the five trustees who administered the Godman Exploration Fund. It includes their annual reports in which they accounted for money disbursed, details of their investments, and correspondence over the lease of a house that they owned.

Professional and personal papers of Doug Clark and his wife Jean Clark. The majority - correspondence, research and records from professional associations - relate to Doug Clark's work on arachnids at the British Museum (Natural History) from the mid-1950s until his death in 1971. There are records from after this date as his wife, Jean, continued correspondence, collecting articles and published Doug's work posthumously. There are more general employment records from the Army and Civil Service as well as photographs (of people and spiders) and personal papers, mainly correspondence and newspaper cuttings.

Jean Clark was also employed by the British Museum (Natural History) and published articles in her own right and therefore her records - academic articles, correspondence and collected momentos - also form a small part of this collection.

Papers of Department of Palaeontology comprising:

DF100 Palaeontology Departmental Correspondence;
DF101 Registers of Palaeontology Departmental Correspondence;
DF102 Palaeontology Departmental Finance and Accounts;
DF103 Palaeontology Reports to Trustees and other Official Documents;
DF104 Palaeontology Reports of Progress, Monthly and Annual;
DF105 Palaeontology Acquisition, Loan and Exchange Correspondence and Papers;
DF106 Staff Files and Diaries;
DF107 Keeper of Palaeontology's subject files;
DF108 Palaeontology Departmental visitors books;
DF109 Publications correspondence and artwork;
DF110 Parcel books;
DF116 Correspondence and papers on Piltdown Man;
DF117 Palaeontology loan registers;
DF120 Early members of staff, correspondence and papers;
DF121 Fossil Reptilia Section: correspondence and papers;
DF122 Fossil Mollusca Section: correspondence and papers;
DF123 Fossil Echinodermata Section: correspondence and papers;
DF124 Fossil Brachiopoda Section: correspondence and papers;
DF125 Fossil and Recent Protozoa Section: correspondence and papers;
DF140 Anthropology Sub-Department correspondence;
DF141 Anthropology Sub-Department subject files;
DF142 Anthropology Sub-Department visitors books;
DF160 Palaeontology Library accessions;
DF161 Palaeontology Librarian's correspondence.

Papers of the Trustees, 1852-1989, comprising: DF900 Minutes of the Standing Committee;
DF901 Minutes of General Meetings and sub-committee meetings;
DF902 Extracts from minutes of the Standing Committee;
DF903 Background papers and memoranda of the Standing Committee;
DF904 The Chairman's agendas for Standing Committee meetings;
DF905 The Director's precis for the General Meetings;
DF906 Papers of the Principal Trustees;
DF907 Attendance books for General and Standing Committee meetings;
DF908 Books of presents;
DF909 Lists of trustees, officers and staff.

Papers of the Society for the Bibliography of Natural History, 1936-1999, including minute books, 1936-1990; Secretary's correspondence and files, 1936-1985; membership application forms, 1950-1985; financial records, 1936-1987; editorial records, 1986-1999 and the historical collection.

Correspondence of the Tring (natural history) Museum, 1890-1955.

Correspondence and papers of the British Museum East Africa Expedition, 1924-1931, including notebooks and papers of William Edmund Cutler; notebooks and papers of Frederick William Hugh Migeod and miscellaneous and printed material relating to East Africa Expedition.

Scientific and antiquarian manuscript and printed papers of Mervyn Herbert Nevil Story-Maskelyne, chiefly relating to his unpublished work on historic diamonds and other gemstones. Includes: Historical notes on the Koh-i-noor diamond and other historic gemstones; Notes on the Koh-i-noor and other historic diamonds; On the Koh-i-noor diamond: manuscript draft; Diamonds and antiquities: notes and newscuttings; 'Notes on jewels etc', with extracts from Theophrastus, Dioscorides and Pliny; 'Lectures on the mineralogy of antiquity'; includes much on historic diamonds; 'The filling of fissures', notes for a lecture on the formation of ore minerals; Newscuttings relating to the British Museum, one of them a letter of John Ruskin, 1866-1873; 'On diamonds', the text of a lecture given at the Royal Institution, reprinted from 'The Chemical News', 1860; 'The metals and minerals of the Bible' (printed), [1888]; 'Physical properties of minerals - I. optical': notes for a lecture, illustrated with diagrams; 'Visitors to Prof Maskelyne's lecture on crystallography, Nov 23, 1874', with notes on crystal structure from the works of Groth, Fedorov and others, and circular polarisation of crystals, 1874-1901; Translations of ancient texts; Viktor von Lang: crystallographic measurements and drawings from specimens in the Museum collection, 1863 and Royal Institution: Syllabus of lectures on the allied phaenomena of the chemical and electrical forces by Michael Faraday (printed), 1848. Many of the papers are accompanied by notes made by Walter Campbell Smith at the time of transfer.

Correspondence, notes and photographs from C W Andrews' expedition to Christmas Island, 1897-1898, including notes on the birds and other animals of Christmas Island, with a register of photographs; notes on the vegetation and geology of Christmas Island, with a register of plants; notes on the geology of Christmas Island, with a register of rock specimens; rough sketches and notes on the geology of Christmas Island; letters from Andrews to C D Sherborn written from Christmas Island and elsewhere; photographs taken during Captain Pelham Aldrich's visit to Christmas Island in HMS Egeria, 1897-1898 and 1908; photographs taken by Andrews on Cocos-Keeling, 1898; album of photographs taken by Andrews on Christmas Island; leaflet prepared by Graham Collins and others, reprinting a letter from C W Andrews on Christmas Island to C D Sherborn, 11 Sep 1897, with illustrations and calendar of the Christmas Island Natural History Association for 1988, containing reprints of some of C W Andrews' photographs of the island.

Papers of Jacqueline Grizel Georgiana Palmer relating to her work in the Children's Centre of the Natural History Museum, including papers relating to the Argus Club; Children's Centre papers; Junior Naturalists' Club papers; Field Observer's Club papers; correspondence; worksheets; pressed plants and photographs.

Scientific papers of A K Totton including official Museum files, diaries and correspondence and material produced after his retirement. It relates entirely to his work on coelenterates, and the bulk is concerned with the Siphonophora, the group which includes the Portugese man of war.

Administrative papers of the two union branches that represented the scientific staff of the Museum from 1918 until they merged as the Museum branch of the Institute of Professional Civil Servants, later the Institute for Professional and Managerial Staff. Also included are some earlier papers relating to the grievances of the attendant class between 1854 and 1914, and some papers of the Departmental Whitley Council.

Central administration papers of the Natural History Museum comprising: DF1000 Director's Office: Reports and Letters;
DF1001 Director's Office: Museum Secretary's Outgoing Letters;
DF1002 Director's Office: Numerical Register of Incoming Letters;
DF1003 Director's Office: Alphabetical Register of Incoming Letters;
DF1004 Director's Office: Case and Policy Files;
DF1005 Director's Office: Personnel Files;
DF1006 Director's Office: Salary and Wage Records;
DF1007 Director's Office: Registers of Payable Orders;
DF1008 Director's Office: Journals, Ledgers, Abstracts and other Financial Records;
DF1009 Director's Office: Establishment Officer's Files;
DF1010 Director's Office: Papers of the General Foreman;
DF1011 Director's Office: Printed Forms.

Papers of the General Library, Natural History Museum, 1878-1984, comprising: DF600 Head of the General Library's Correspondence;
DF601 Head of the General Library's Subject Files;
DF602 General Library Visitors Books;
DF603 Library Finance and Accounts;
DF604 General Library Official Diaries;
DF605 Library Main Agents Acquisition Files;
DF606 Library Accession Records;
DF607 Library Cataloguing Records.

Unofficial Archives of the Natural Museum, 1848-1992, containing papers closely related to the Museum and its work, but are not strictly speaking part of its official archive. Photographs and newscuttings belong in this category, as do the papers of associate or part-time workers, benefactors and trustees. The papers of the Museum's union branch, the Sports and Social Club and the Scientific Officers Association will all be found here, as well as newscuttings relating to the Museum. Papers of former members of staff given after the individual has left the Museum are generally placed here, as they will often contain a mixture of official and private papers. There is also a series for any small donations or purchases of individual items or small collections.

The collections comprise:

DF5000 British Museum East Africa Expedition, 1924-1931: correspondence and papers

DF5001 Papers of Mervyn Herbert Nevil Story-Maskelyne (1823-1911), mineralogist

DF5002 C W Andrews' expedition to Christmas Island, 1897-1898: correspondence, notes and photographs

DF5003 Correspondence of Richard Meinertzhagen (1878-1967), ornithologist

DF5005 Huxley Memorial Committee: minutes, correspondence and papers

DF5006 Papers of Jacqueline Palmer (1918-1961), teacher

DF5008 Correspondence and papers of Lord Macmillan (1873-1952), Trustee

DF5009 Papers of Arthur Knyvett Totton (1892-1973), zoologist

DF5010 Trustees of the Godman Exploration Fund: papers

DF5011 Union Branch papers and correspondence

DF5012 Small acquired collections

Alfred Russel Wallace family papers, [1790]-2000, including personal and related family papers, correspondence, accounts of expenditure, publisher's proofs, reprints, photographs, certificates, pamphlets, press-cuttings, lecture notes and obituaries. The correspondence includes letters from Richard Spruce, and letters written by Wallace to his family from Canada, c 1886-1887, to his son William c 1889-1911, to his daughter Violet, to Herbert Walter Bates, and to the Clarion newspaper. Siblings with whom he corresponded or who mentioned in these papers include older brothers William G [George] (died c 1845), John (c 1819-1895) older sisters Eliza (died 1832) and Frances (Fanny, Mrs Thomas Sims; died 1893) and younger brother Herbert Edward. (c 1829-1851).

Volume of correspondence of Richard Meinertzhagen including official receipts from the Museum for donations (1914-1956), drafts of his critical memoranda on the state of the Museum (1939-1945), letters from Museum staff and trustees on his collections from the Hogga Mountains, Algeria (1931-1932), and correspondence on the disposal of his bird collection (1950-1954).

Papers of the Director's Office comprising: DF930 The Principal Librarian's correspondence and files;
DF931 Official papers of the Superintendent;
DF932 Correspondence of the Director;
DF933 The Director's subject files;
DF934 The northern boundary;
DF935 Departmental annual reports;
DF936 Museum notices;
DF937 Press notices;
DF938 The Index Museum: correspondence and papers;
DF939 Papers and correspondence of the Secretary.

Papers of the Department of Entomology comprising: DF300 Keeper of Entomology's correspondence;
DF301 Registers of Entomology departmental correspondence;
DF302 Keeper of Entomology's out-letters;
DF303 Entomology reports to Trustees;
DF304 Sectional correspondence;
DF305 Keeper of Entomology's expedition files;
DF306 Keeper of Entomology's subject files;
DF307 Keeper of Entomology's staff files;
DF308 Entomology donation records;
DF309 Entomology departmental and sectional visitors books;
DF310 Entomology Financial Records;
DF311 Artwork for Publication;
DF312 Entomology Librarian's Correspondence;
DF313 Entomology Specimen Loan Books;
DF330 Economic Section correspondence and papers;
DF331 Diptera Section correspondence and papers;
DF332 Lepidoptera Section correspondence and papers;
DF333 Coleoptera Section correspondence and papers;
DF334 Hemiptera Section correspondence and papers;
DF335 "Neuropteroid" Orders Section correspondence and papers;
DF340 Custodian of Rothschild Collection of Siphonaptera Correspondence and Papers.

Papers of the Department of Mineralogy including: DF1 Mineralogy Departmental Correspondence;
DF2 Registers of Mineralogy Departmental and Other Correspondence;
DF3 Mineralogy Departmental Correspondence, Individual Collections;
DF4 Mineralogy Reports to Trustees and Other Official Documents;
DF5 Authorisations from Trustees Meetings;
DF6 Keeper of Mineralogy's Staff Files;
DF7 Keeper of Mineralogy's Subject Files;
DF8 Correspondence and Papers of W Campbell Smith;
DF9 Mineralogy Publications Correspondence and Artwork;
DF10 Collection Notes, Reports and Correspondence;
DF11 Reports and Correspondence on Collecting Expeditions and Other Visits;
DF12 Mineral Gallery and Exhibits;
DF13 Keeper of Mineralogy's Accommodation Files;
DF14 Mineral Library, Correspondence and Papers;
DF15 Keeper of Mineralogy's Internal Correspondence;
DF16 Mineralogy Annual Reports of Progress;
DF17 Correspondence and Papers of L J Spencer;
DF18 Keeper of Mineralogy's Papers on Staff and Staffing;
DF19 Laboratory Notebooks and Registers of Apparatus;
DF20 Official Diaries, Correspondence and Papers of Scientific Staff;
DF21 Mineralogy Invoices and Accounts;
DF22 formerly Department of Mineralogy: Leave and Absence Books. Destroyed 1996;
DF23 Mineralogy Departmental Visitors Books;
DF24 Pass Books;
DF25 Parcel Books;
DF26 Requisition Books;
DF27 Laboratory Order Books;
DF28 Oceanography Section, Correspondence and Papers;
DF29 Outgoing Mineralogy Donations Books;
DF30 formerly Department of Mineralogy: Photographic Requisition Books, destroyed 1996;
DF31 Mineralogy Specimen Loan Books.

Papers of the Natural history Museum's publication section, 1881-1994, comrising: DF500 Publications Salesbooks;
DF501 Publications Stockbooks;
DF502 Booksellers Account Books;
DF503 Photographic Section Negative Registers;

DF507 Publications Exchanges Registers;
DF508 Publications Presentation Books;
DF509 Postcards and Greetings Cards;
DF510 Catalogues of Publications;
DF511 Calendars, Almanacs and Annuals;
DF512 Diaries.