Series VII: Annual Lecture

Scope and content:

This series contains information on the annual lecture series, with the bulk covering the period after its revival in 1957. The files for the early years include much of the correspondence arranging for the lectures and information on the lecturers as well as in some cases printed copies of the prepared text. For later years the files consist largely of lecture announcements, programs, and attendance lists.

Audio or video recordings were made of most lectures, but are not currently available. Correspondence relating to the recordings can be found in the relevant subseries.

Correspondence is also available regarding the production of the printed programs and the selection of speakers during the 1970s along with an undated seat plan.

Information on attendance and the financial aspects of the lectures can be found in other series.

Print transcriptions for certain lectures are available in the reading room.

Language:

English

Biographical / historical:

The 1980 lecture of Dr. William Dudley on "Captain Gordon and the Raid on Alexandria 1814" was recorded but was left off the lists of annual lectures printed in later years. It marks the point at which the sequential numbering of annual lectures was stopped. The reason for this is unknown.

Processing information:

Records concerning individual lectures, such as programs and invitations, were foldered by individual lecture unless part of a separate series. This permitted the titles of lectures and names of lecturers to be better indexed and gaps in documentation to be made more obvious than would have been the case with separate subseries for programs, transcripts, etc.

Arrangement:

Arrangement is by year of lecture under its title and orator apart from the seat plan and correspondence on administrative issues. Those are arranged chronologically. Lectures in the modern series were assigned numbers by the Library Company until 1980.

Access and use

Contents