Correspondence and papers. 1951-3.
The Committee was appointed by the Chancellor of the Exchequer in Oct. 1950 ‘to consider and advise on the policy to be adopted by His Majesty’s Government in controlling the export of works of art, books, manuscripts, armour and antiques and to recommend what arrangements should be made for the practical operation of the policy.’ The Right Hon. the Viscount Waverley (John Anderson, 1882-1958) was appointed Chairman. On 13 Nov. 1952 Council set up a committee to make recommendations on possible action arising from the Report (/2/1 below) (see Council minutes, CM/82/2, Item 8). The Officers, Miss B.M. Blackwood, H.J. Braunholtz, and Dr G.H.S. Bushnell were appointed to the Committee. See also Council minutes, CM/80/6, Item 11.
1/ 1951
1 Hon. Secretary, RAI (W.B. Fagg) to Secretary to the Committee, 1 Mar. - sets out RAI’s principles: (1) That all objects considered by the responsible experts to be of national importance should be liable to control ...; (2) That the decision whether a given piece is to be classed as of national importance should be taken on its merits and not influenced by extraneous financial or other circumstances ...; (3) ... regulations should not be so drafted as to exclude what we may perhaps call the ‘contemporary antique’ ...; (4) That the needs of science are just as valid for this purpose as those of fine art (tpc. )
2 Ibid (mimeo. copy)
3 Ibid, 16 Apr. - reports Council has considered in detail its views on the export of antiquities; letter of 1 Mar. provisional; asks for present letter to be substituted for earlier one (tpc.)
2/ 1952
1 Report of the Committee, London, HMSO, 1952
2 Secretary to the Officers to Dr G.H.S. Bushnell, Curator, Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, Cambridge University, 28 Nov. – notifying him of his appointment to the Committee; gives names of other members (tpc.)
3/ 1953
1 Draft letter to the Chancellor of the Exchequer by H.J. Braunholtz and W.B. Fagg 4 leaves (autogr. by WBF)
2 Ibid by H.J. Braunholtz (autogr., annotated by WBF)
3 Ibid by H.J. Braunholtz and WBF. 3 leaves (tpc., with correction by WBF)
4 Ibid (tp., heavily emended by J.P. Mills, President)
5 J.P. Mills to RAI, 9 Jan. - covering letter to emended draft (/4 above) (autogr.)
6 President, RAI to Chancellor of the Exchequer, 14 Jan. 3pp. (tpc.)
7 Memorandum on the Report by the Council for British Archaeology, 24 Feb. 4pp (mimeo.)
8 President, Council for British Archaeology (D.B. Harden) to the Chancellor of the Exchequer - covering letter to Memorandum (/7 above) (tpc.)
9 Memorandum on the Report by the Society of Antiquaries, 6 May. 6 leaves (tpc.)
10 Secretary, Society of Antiquaries (R.L.S. Bruce-Mitford) to the Chancellor of the Exchequer - covering letter to Memorandum (/9 above) (tpc.)
From the W.B. Fagg Papers, July 1992.
