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University College London

University College London Petrie Museum: Petrie Papers

IDENTITY STATEMENT

Reference code(s): GB 0103 UCLCA/PETMUS/WFP1-2

Held at: University College London

Title: University College London Petrie Museum: Petrie Papers

Date(s): 1814-1992

Level of description: sub-fonds

Extent: 550 folders

Name of creator(s): Petrie | Sir | (William Matthew) Flinders | 1853-1942 | Knight | Egyptologist
University College London | Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology

CONTEXT

Administrative/Biographical history:

The Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology originated as a teaching resource for the Professor of Egyptian Archaeology and Philology at University College London (UCL), created by the bequest of the Victorian enthusiast Amelia Edwards (1831-1892). Her bequest included several hundred artefacts, and the collection grew due to the excavating career of William Matthew Flinders Petrie (1853-1942). Petrie was born in Charlton and educated privately. He worked on many excavation sites, mostly in Egypt. He was the first Edwards Professor of Egyptology at UCL,1892-1933, and Emeritus Professor from 1933. He published many works on excavation, and was knighted in 1923. By 2001 the Petrie Museum housed c80,000 objects.

CONTENT

Scope and content/abstract:

Records, 1814-1992, held by University College London Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology, including papers of Sir (William Matthew) Flinders Petrie, and comprising letters, drawings for various publications as well as watercolours, manuscript drafts of publications, photographs, scrapbooks, some equipment used on excavations, diaries, journals, tomb cards, distribution lists and catalogues of antiquities. Includes small amount of material from the Wellcome Collection.

ACCESS AND USE

Language/scripts of material: English, French, Italian

System of arrangement:

Original order.

Conditions governing access:

The records are held in the Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology.

Conditions governing reproduction:

Normal copyright restrictions apply.

Physical characteristics:

Finding aids:

Collection level description.

ARCHIVAL INFORMATION

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling information:

Accruals:

Archival history:

Immediate source of acquisition:

Department of Egyptology, University College London.

ALLIED MATERIALS

Existence and location of originals:

Existence and location of copies:

Related material:

University College London Special Collections holds correspondence and papers of Sir Flinders Petrie among the records of the Institute of Archaeology (Ref: UCLCA/IA); c27 letters to Sir Francis Galton, 1878-1904 (Ref: GALTON); correspondence with John Sebelien, 1921-1924 (Ref: MS ADD 113).

The British Library of Political and Economic Science holds letters to C G Seligman relating to the Sudan, c1914-1918 (Ref: Seligman Papers/4/2/2). The Wellcome Library for the History and Understanding of Medicine holds lecture notes, 1912-1913 (Ref: MS 3856). The National Maritime Museum, Manuscripts Section, holds letters to his wife and papers, 1873-1880 (Ref: FLI/101-10). Oxford University, Bodleian Library, Special Collections and Western Manuscripts, holds correspondence with J L Myres, 1896-1926 (Ref: MSS Myres). Oxford University, Griffith Institute, holds journals (on loan), notebooks (two volumes), and photographs (8 volumes), 1880-1933 (Ref: Petrie MSS); 21 letters to Aquila Dodgson (Ref: Dodgson 1-6). Oxford University, Ashmolean Library, holds eight notebooks. The Palestine Exploration Fund holds correspondence, 1889-1891. The Egypt Exploration Society holds correspondence and papers.

Publication note:

DESCRIPTION NOTES

Note:

Archivist's note: Sources: website of the Petrie Museum, http://www.petrie.ucl.ac.uk/museum.html; National Register of Archives. Compiled by Patricia Sleeman and revised by Rachel Kemsley as part of the RSLP AIM25 project.