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Royal Geographical Society

AFRICAN ASSOCIATION

IDENTITY STATEMENT

Reference code(s): GB 0402 AAS

Held at: Royal Geographical Society

Title: AFRICAN ASSOCIATION

Date(s): 1788-1831

Level of description: Collection (fonds)

Extent: 1 box

Name of creator(s): The African Association

CONTEXT

Administrative/Biographical history:

The African Association (whose full title was the Association for Promoting the Discovery of the Interior Parts of Africa) was founded in London in 1788. It offered patronage to many explorers of Africa, among them Mungo Park, John Lewis Burkhardt and Frederick Hornemann. In 1831 the Association merged with the newly formed Royal Geographical Society of London.

CONTENT

Scope and content/abstract:

Papers of the African Association, 1788-1831, including microfilm and enlarged prints from microfilm of the Association's minute books of its Committee Meetings (1788-1809), General Meetings (1790-1831) and Meetings of the Saturday Club (from 1799 the African Club) (1788-1815) and miscellaneous correspondence: nine items of different dates (1808-1822) principally concerning John Lewis Burkhardt.

ACCESS AND USE

Language/scripts of material: English, French and Italian.

System of arrangement:

Three separate bundles of minutes and one folder of Mss. letters.

Conditions governing access:

Open by appointment only, subject to completion of application form. Non-Fellows require a letter of reference.

Conditions governing reproduction:

Photocopying at Archivist's discretion, and subject to completion of `application for copies' form. No reproduction or publication without permission of Cambridge University Library.

Physical characteristics:

Mss. letters in fair condition.

Finding aids:

The RGS archives: a handlist compiled by Christine Kelly. London: RGS, 1977.

ARCHIVAL INFORMATION

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling information:

Accruals:

None expected

Archival history:

The Association's original Minute books were held by the Cambridge University Museum of Classical Archaeology, and thence passed to the University Library in 1947.

Immediate source of acquisition:

Microfilms and prints of the Minute books were given to the RGS by the Syndics of Cambridge University Library.

ALLIED MATERIALS

Existence and location of originals:

The Minute Books are held at Cambridge University Library.

Existence and location of copies:

Related material:

Copies of papers of Sir Joseph Banks relating to the African Association are held in the RGS Archives. (Originals are in the Sutro Collection, State University of California).

Publication note:

See Records of the African Association edited by Robin Hallett for the Royal Geographical Society, Edinburgh: Nelson, 1964.

DESCRIPTION NOTES

Note:

Archivist's note: Prepared by David Tatham, Archives Volunteer using existing finding aids and Records of the African Association (see above). Revised by Sarah Drewery.