Identity area
Reference code
Broome MSS
Title
Date(s)
- 1927-1937 (Creation)
Level of description
Collection
Extent and medium
4 boxes and 1 folder
Context area
Name of creator
Biographical history
British artist. Born, London 1888. Died, Bushey 1978. Studied Egyptology under M. Murray and W. M. F. Petrie, at University College, London, 1911-13. Worked for the British School of Archaeology at Qau, 1927, and with A. Calverley at Abydos, 1929-37.
Archival history
Formerly in the possession of Miss Broome's cousin, Miss K. M. Slater.
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
Miss K. M. Slater donated the letters in 1986.
Content and structure area
Scope and content
415 items of correspondence written by Miss Broome to her parents whilst working at Abydos between 1927 and 1937.
Fifteen items are groups of two letters (16, 35, 51, 55, 97, 111, 154, 198, 227, 268, 306, 319, 325, 363, 408, and 414, not all of them by Miss Broome), four of which are actually cards/postcards (16A, 306A, and 414A-B); item 156 is a group of three letters [= 429 letters and 4 cards/postcards in total].
A few letters include drawings/maps; seven letters include photographs (111, 123, 273-276, and 279); letter 337 includes a newspaper cutting; many of the letters include the original envelopes in which they were sent; some other letters mention the enclosure of additional items which are now lost.
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling
Accruals
System of arrangement
Arranged chronologically.
Conditions of access and use area
Conditions governing access
Property of the Griffith Institute. No restrictions.
Conditions governing reproduction
Copyright, Griffith Institute, University of Oxford. In Miss Slater's letter of donation, there was a condition that Mrs Sybil Rampen and Mr John Ruffle have permission to use the letters for publication, and will retain it after Miss Slater's death. Miss Slater died in March 2000.
Language of material
- English
Script of material
Language and script notes
Physical characteristics and technical requirements
No problems.
Finding aids
Summaries of the letters and index of personal names (compiled by Miss Kay Lorimer).
Allied materials area
Existence and location of originals
These are originals.
Existence and location of copies
Transcripts of the letters were made by Mrs Rampen before the material was donated to the Griffith Institute. John Ruffle also has copies of these.
Related units of description
Publication note
- Full publication on this website (completed in 6 October 2021).
- Ruffle, John, "Myrtle Florence Broome", in: Breaking Ground: Women in Old World Archeology, Providence, RI: Brown University, 2004. [https://www.brown.edu/Research/Breaking_Ground/bios/Broome_Myrtle%20Florence.pdf (accessed 11/07/2020)].
- Ruffle, John, "The Alternative to Growing Turnips: Myrtle Broome in Egypt 1927-1937", in: Frood, Elizabeth and Angela McDonald (eds), Decorum and experience: essays in ancient culture for John Baines, Oxford: Griffith Institute, 2013, p. 174-179 (OEB 205657).
- Young, Lee, An Artist in Abydos: The Life and Letters of Myrtle Broome, Cairo: American University in Cairo Press, 2021 (letters from the first season mostly).
- Blog posts by Susan Biddle on "Wonderful Things: The blog of the Griffith Institute, University of Oxford" (https://blog.griffith.ox.ac.uk/).
Publication note
See also:
- Calverley, Amice M. and Myrtle F. Broome, The Temple of King Sethos I at Abydos, volume I: The Chapels of Osiris, Isis and Horus. Edited by Alan H. Gardiner. London; Chicago: Egypt Exploration Society; University of Chicago Press, 1933 (OEB 140010).
- Calverley, Amice M. and Myrtle F. Broome, The temple of King Sethos I at Abydos, volume II: The Chapels of Amen-Rē', Rē'-Ḥarakhti, Ptaḥ, and King Sethos. Edited by Alan H. Gardiner. London; Chicago: Egypt Exploration Society; University of Chicago Press, 1935 (OEB 226131).
- Calverley, Amice M. and Myrtle F. Broome, The Temple of King Sethos I at Abydos, volume III: The Osiris Complex. Edited by Alan H. Gardiner. London; Chicago: Egypt Exploration Society; University of Chicago Press, 1938 (OEB 226132).
- Calverley, Amice M. and Myrtle F. Broome, The Temple of King Sethos I at Abydos, volume IV: The Second Hypostyle Hall. Edited by Alan H. Gardiner. London; Chicago: Egypt Exploration Society; University of Chicago Press, 1958 (OEB 8067).
Notes area
Note
- Photograph: Myrte F. Broome (centre) with Mr and Mrs Roche at Nag Hammadi (Broome letter 279, photograph 4).
Note
- The letters have been transcribed by Lee Young. They have been proofread and prepared for publication on this website by a number of volunteers and the Griffith Institute Team (see individual letters for details). Jenni Navratil has digitized them all.
Note
- Cultural warning: Users of this material are warned that some records document observations of people and cultures using scientific research models and language from the early twentieth century in ways that may be considered offensive today.
Note
- If you spot any mistakes or can improve on the transcription, please email us at griffith.institute@orinst.ox.ac.uk.
Alternative identifier(s)
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Description control area
Description identifier
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Digital object metadata
Filename
Broome_279_04p.tif
Latitude
Longitude
Media type
Image
Mime-type
image/tiff