British Museum (Natural History): Department of Entomology: Keeper's Correspondence

This series consists of correspondence of the Department of Entomology's Keeper.

The earliest letters, which date from just before the move of the insect collections to South Kensington, are mostly addressed to Charles Owen Waterhouse (1843-1917), who joined the staff in 1866, and succeeded George Hampson in charge of the Insect Section in 1905. Although most letters were received and answered by the Keeper or his deputy, a few are letters on 'departmental' topics written by his staff. Incoming letters are occasionally accompanied by carbon copy replies in DF 300/1-15, and more generally thereafter.

The correspondence deals with departmental administration, accessions to the collection, general entomological and curatorial topics, and the research interests of successive keepers.

Series held at The Natural History Museum are catalogued more fully in its online catalogue (reference DF ENT/300). Online descriptions of some individual records can also be viewed on Discovery, see DF 300.

The series is arranged in seven alphabetical sequences. Letters are generally filed under the name of the individual writer, though some letters in DF 300/22-132 are grouped by institution, and a number are in subject categories.

There are a number of files of correspondence from named individuals among the Keeper's subject files in DF 306

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