British Museum (Natural History): Central Administration: Director's Office: Papers...

The series consists of a small number of records which have accidentally survived over the years. DF 1010/1-5 deal with furniture and fittings, DF 1010/6 and DF 1010/24 with the handling of keys, and DF 1010/7 with the Museum's fire fighting equipment. DF 1010/8-13 contain letters and memoranda relating to the work of the General Foreman, while DF 1010/14-25 relate to the work of the locksmith and the glazier.

Series held at The Natural History Museum are catalogued more fully in its online catalogue (reference DF BDG/1/1). Online descriptions of some individual records can also be viewed on Discovery, see DF 1010.

Topics

Museums and galleries

William Randall was appointed the first General Foreman in 1880, to supervise the work of the timekeeper, locksmith, plumber, glazier, the firemen, gatekeepers and the foreman of the window cleaners. He was succeeded by James Joseph Parkes in 1901 and William Hewett Sanders in 1927. Sanders' duties were set out in 1937, and included ordering and checking repairs to furniture and the building, arranging for temporary notices in the galleries, arranging the shipment of specimens, and supervising the work of contract staff. Sanders was a Technical Works Officer Grade III, and finally achieved parity of salary with the British Museum General Foreman in 1949. Leslie Thomas Linggard was appointed in 1956 as a Technical Works Officer Grade II, and was succeeded by Richard Andrew Bates in 1976. Bates was located in the Technical Services Section of the newly created Department of Central Services.