Collection Mond MSS - Robert Ludwig Mond Collection

Identity area

Reference code

Mond MSS

Title

Robert Ludwig Mond Collection

Date(s)

  • c.1901-1926 (Creation)

Level of description

Collection

Extent and medium

5 glass negative cases, 64 glass negative boxes, 9 boxes, 3 oversize boxes, 4 oversize folders

Context area

Name of creator

(1867-1938)

Biographical history

British chemist and excavator; he was born in Farnworth, near Widnes, Lancs., 9 Sept. 1867, eldest son of Dr. Ludwig Mond, FRS, who was of German origin, and Frida Lowenthal; he was educated at Cheltenham and Peterhouse, Cambridge, also at the Universities of Zurich, Edinburgh, and Glasgow; he married firstly in 1898, Helen Edith Levis (who died in Luxor in 1905), and secondly in London, 6 Dec. 1922 Marie Louise Le Manach (born in Belle-Isle-en-Terre 5 Feb. 1869, died there 21 Nov. 1949); Director of the Mond Cos.; of his services and contributions to chemistry and other branches of science, accounts will be found elsewhere; for many years his chief recreation was Egyptian archaeology and he frequently visited Egypt from 1901 onwards; in 1902 he began work on clearing and recording Theban tombs, discovering several new ones; he personally supervised the work, 1902-5 and 1923-6; in this effort he had the assistance of Newberry, Carter, E. J. Mackay, Emery, Frankfort, F. W. Green, Weigall, Yeivin and others; he defrayed the cost of repairing, restoring and safeguarding many tombs and other monuments in Egypt including the tomb of Seti I, and was a generous supporter of many archaeological expeditions in Egypt, and elsewhere; those of the EES, of Garstang in Meroe and in Asia Minor, of the Liverpool Inst. of Archaeology, of Miss Garrod at Athlit and Lydda and of H. Winkler in the Eastern and Libyan deserts; in 1926 he ceased working at Thebes and transferred his activities to Armant, in 1929 handing over the concession to the EES when he was elected President that year; he was also Treasurer of the Palestine Exploration Fund and of the British School of Archaeology in Palestine; he defrayed the cost of many archaeological publications, and presented many antiquities to museums, bequeathing his collections to the British Museum and assisting with the purchase of Petrie's collection by University College London; he was also a great benefactor of the Royal Institution, of the British Institute in Paris, and of many other scientific and cultural bodies; LL.D.; FRSE.; FRS; knighted 1932; a large collection of his notes, photographs, and other material relating to the Theban tombs is now in the Griffith Inst., Oxford; he died in Paris, 22 Oct. 1938.

Name of creator

(1903-1971)

Biographical history

British Egyptologist. Born, Liverpool 1903. Died, Cairo 1971. Educated St. Francis Xavier's College, Liverpool, then the Institute of Archaeology, Liverpool University, 1921-3. Went out to Egypt for the first time as an assistant to the EES excavations at Amârna in 1923-4. Also worked for Mond at Luxor and Armant, 1923-8. Subsequently directed excavations at many sites in Egypt, notably his work at North Saqqâra in 1935-9. Served with the British Army 1939-46, afterwards attached to the British Embassy in Cairo. In 1951 appointed to the Edwards Professorship at University College London, which he held until his retirement in 1970. Worked in the Sudan and at Qasr Ibrîm in the 1950s and 60s.

Name of creator

(1880-1943)

Biographical history

British archaeologist; he was born Bristol, 5 July 1880, son of Richard Cockrill M. and Mary Dermott Thomas; he was educated at Bristol Grammar School and the University of Bristol; MA; D.Litt.; FSA; he married Dorothy Mary Simmons, 1912; he assisted in excavations in Egypt, 1907-12, receiving training in field work under Petrie and contributing to the publications of the British School; he was engaged on excavations and the photographic survey of the Theban Tombs, 1913-16; in 1913 he loaned his collection of Egyptian antiquities to the Bristol City Museum, selling it to the museum in 1919; he served during the First World War as a Capt. in the RASC, 1916-19, in Egypt and Palestine; Member of the Army Commission for the Survey of Ancient Monuments in Palestine and Syria, 1919-20; he was then appointed Custodian of Antiquities by the Palestine Govt., 1919-22; he was Field Director of the Oxford University and Field Museum, Chicago, Archaeological Expedition to Mesopotamia, 1922-6; at this time he also directed the excavations at Bahrain on the Persian Gulf for the BSAE, 1925; he became Special Officer for Exploration for the Archaeological Survey of India, 1926-31; he then was appointed Director of the Expedition of the American School of Indic and Iranian Studies and the Boston Museum of Fine Arts to Chandhu-daro, India, 1935-6; Mackay began his archaeological work in Egypt, but he later moved into Palestine and Iraq where he made important discoveries on early Sumerian sites; it is, however, his work in India for which he is best known, for with Sir John Marshall he was one of the founders and initiators of work on the Indus valley civilization; in Egyptology he was part author of Heliopolis, KO Ammar and Shurafa, with W. M. F. Petrie, 1915; City of Shepherd Kings and Ancient Gaza V, with M. A. Murray, Petrie, and others, 1952; he also wrote, The A 'Cemetery at Kish, 1925; A Sumerian palace and the A' Cemetery at Kish, 1926; Excavations at Jemdet Nasr, Iraq, 1930; Moheryadaro, and the Indus Civilization, with Sir J. Marshall and others, 1931; The Indus Civilization, 1935; Further Excavations at Mohenjodaro (1927-31), 1938; Chandu-daro Excavations, 1941; in addition he published numerous articles in journals, such as AE to which he contributed reviews; he died in London, 2 Oct. 1943.

Archival history

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

Content and structure area

Scope and content

Prints and negatives of scenes in Theban tombs, notebook and notes (some by W. B. Emery and E. J. H. MacKay).

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

Accruals

System of arrangement

Conditions of access and use area

Conditions governing access

Conditions governing reproduction

Language of material

Script of material

Language and script notes

Physical characteristics and technical requirements

Finding aids

Allied materials area

Existence and location of originals

Existence and location of copies

Related units of description

Notes area

Alternative identifier(s)

Access points

Subject access points

Place access points

Name access points

Genre access points

Description control area

Description identifier

Institution identifier

Rules and/or conventions used

Status

Level of detail

Dates of creation revision deletion

Language(s)

Script(s)

Sources

Accession area

Related subjects

Related people and organizations

Related genres

Related places

Physical storage

  • Shelf: 1306-1308
  • Shelf: 1314-1316
  • Shelf: 1320-1321
  • Shelf: 1327-1329
  • Shelf: 1613-1614