Mycenae 1921: Winifred Lamb

Winifred Lamb presented the results of the second season of excavations at Mycenae. She deputised for Wace at the annual meeting in October 1921. Her lecture was for 40-45 minutes and afterwards Sir Arthur Evans spoke and made 'charming compliment on my work w[ith] the frescoes'.

Image
© David Gill

The Annual Meeting of Subscribers (1921-38)

The Annual Meetings took place on:

• 1921, Tuesday 25 October. Burlington House. Chair: Sir John Gennadius.
  
• 1922, Tuesday 31 October. Burlington House.
  
• 1923, Tuesday 30 October. Burlington House. Chair: William Ralph Inge, The Dean of St Paul's. (Inge's brother, Charles Cuthbert, had been admitted to the BSA.)
• 1924, Tuesday 28 October. Burlington House. Chair: Montague Rhodes James, the Provost of Eton.
• 1925
• 1926, Tuesday 2 November. Aeolian Hall. Chair, Stanley Baldwin, the Prime Minister.
• 1927, Tuesday 1 November. Burlington House. Chair, Dr John William Mackail, president of the Classical Association.
• 1928, Tuesday 6 November. Burlington House. Chair: David Alexander Edward Lindsay, Earl of Crawford and Earl of Balcarres.
• 1929, Tuesday 5 November. Burlington House. Chair: Sir Rennell Rodd.
  
• 1930, Tuesday 4 November. Burlington House. Chair: Sir Henry Hadow, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Sheffield.
  
• 1931, Tuesday 7 November. Burlington House.
  
• 1932, Tuesday 8 November. Burlington House. Chair: Sir Reginald Blomfield, architect.
  
• 1933, Wednesday 8 November. Burlington House. Chair: Sir Charles Peers.
  
• 1934, Tuesday 30 October. Burlington House.
  
• 1935, Tuesday 12 November. burlington House. Chair: Sir George Hill, Director of the British Museum.
  
• 1936, Tuesday 17 November. Burlington House. Chair: Lord Eustace Percy.
  
• 1937, Tuesday 12 October. Burlington House.
  
• 1938, Tuesday 29 November. Burlington House. Chair: the Crown Prince of Sweden.
  

This list will be revised.

The Annual Meeting of Subscribers: Chair (1886-1918)

Those chairing the Annual Meeting of Subscribers:

• 1886, October 19 (Royal Asiatic Society, 22 Albemarle Street): Professor Charles T. Newton (The Earl of Carnarvon absent)
  
• 1887, July 6 ('Society of Athens') [First Annual Meeting]: the Earl of Carnarvon (Henry Howard Molyneux Herbert, Fourth Earl of Carnarvon)
  
• 1888, July 18 (Society of Antiquaries): Lord Herschell (Farrer Herschell, First Baron Herschell, Lord Chancellor)
  
• 1889, July 10 (The Society of Arts): the Earl of Carnarvon (Henry Howard Molyneux Herbert, Fourth Earl of Carnarvon)
• 1890, July 2 (Royal Asiatic Society, 22 Albemarle Street): Francis C. Penrose, former director (Lord Savile [John Savile, first Baron Savile of Rufford] absent)
  
• 1891, July 3 (Royal Asiatic Society, 22 Albemarle Street): Lord Justice Bowen (Charles Synge Christopher Bowen, Baron Bowen)
  
• 1892, July 7 (Royal Asiatic Society, 22 Albemarle Street): Lord Bute (John Patrick Crichton-Stuart, third marquess of Bute)
  
• 1893, July 19 (Society of Antiquaries): The Archbishop of Canterbury (Edward White Benson)
  
• 1894, July 11 (Asiatic Society, 22 Albemarle Street): Mr Bryce, MP (James Bryce, President of the Board of Trade, 1894-95)
  
• 1895, July 17 (Asiatic Society, 22 Albemarle Street): Lord Lingen, KCB (Ralph Robert Wheeler Lingen, Baron Lingen; former Permanent Secretary at the Treasury)
  
• 1896, July 13 (Asiatic Society, 22 Albemarle Street): The Rt Hon. John Morley, MP
• 1897, July 15 (Asiatic Society, 22 Albemarle Street): Sir Edward Poynter, PRA
  
• 1898, October 20 (Society of Antiquaries): The Lord Bishop of London (Mandell Creighton).
  
• 1899, October 30 (Society of Antiquaries): Sir William R. Anson, Bart., DCL, Warden of All Souls' College, and MP for Oxford University.
• 1900, October 30 (Society of Antiquaries): The Rt Hon. Herbert Henry Asquith, QC, MP
• 1901, October 24 (Society of Antiquaries): Sir Richard Jebb, MP
  
• 1902, October 14 (Society of Antiquaries): Dr Thomas Hodgkin
  
• 1903, October 23 (Royal Asiatic Society, 22 Albemarle Street): Professor Samuel Henry Butcher
  
• 1904, October 27 (Society of Antiquaries): Sir Robert Finlay, KC, MP, the Attorney-General
  
• 1905, October 24 (Society of Antiquaries): The Rt Revd George Forrest Browne, DD, Bishop of Bristol
• 1906, October 30 (Society of Antiquaries): The Earl of Halsbury (Hardinge Stanley Giffard, first earl of Halsbury)
  
• 1907, October 29 (Society of Antiquaries): Professor Percy Gardner
  
• 1908, October 27 (Society of Antiquaries): Lord Cromer (Evelyn Baring, First Earl Cromer)
  
• 1909, October 19 (Society of Antiquaries): Professor Gilbert Murray
  
• 1910, October 23 (Society of Antiquaries): Sir Cecil Harcourt-Smith, former Director
  
• 1911, November 7 (Society of Antiquaries): The Rt Revd the Dean of Westminster (Herbert Edward Ryle)
  
• 1912, October 29 (Society of Antiquaries): George A. Macmillan, chairman of the Managing Committee
• 1913, October 28 (Society of Antiquaries): Mr James Bryce, OM (President of the British Academy)
  
• 1914
  
• 1915, November 23 (Society of Antiquaries): George A. Macmillan, chairman of the Managing Committee
• 1916, November 28 (Society of Antiquaries): George A. Macmillan, chairman of the Managing Committee
• 1917, November 27 (Society of Antiquaries): George A. Macmillan, chairman of the Managing Committee
• 1918, November 26 Society of Antiquaries): George A. Macmillan, chairman of the Managing Committee

Associates of the BSA: Ambrose Poynter

Ambrose Poynter (1867-1923) was in the second batch of Associates to be appointed. Poynter was the son of Sir Edward John Poynter (1836-1919) - who chaired the Annual Meeting of Subscribers in July 1897 - and his wife Agnes (Macdonald) (1843-1906); his grandfather was the architect Ambrose Poynter (1796-1886). The wider family included his cousins Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936) and the prime minister Stanley Baldwin (1867-1947), and his uncle the painter Sir Edward Burne-Jones (1833-98)

The younger Ambrose Poynter had been educated at Eton, and the Royal Academy School where he articled to George Aitchison (1825-1910), professor of architecture (1887-1905). Poynter became an architect in 1893. In the spring of 1897 he travelled to Greece to work on Roman period pavements in the Theatre of Dionysos and the Odeion of Herodes Atticus at Athens, and the Temple of Zeus at Olympia.

Reference
Poynter, A. M. 1896/7. "Remarks on three sectile pavements in Greece." Annual of the British School at Athens 3: 175-81.

Image
Theatre of Dionysos, Athens. © David Gill.

Herodes Britannicus: Funding Excavations in Laconia

The BSA struggled to raise money for its work. The £500 grant from the British government in effect covered the director's stipend. Special funds were created for specific projects, notably the Laconian Exploration Fund. George Macmillan, as chairman of the Managing Committee, had made an appeal in February 1906 for a sum 'not than £700 or £800'.

At the Annual Meeting of Subscribers on October 27, 1908. Lord Cromer, the president, commented:

Lastly, let me say something of the financial outlook. You may remember that, at a period before the Government had decided to make a grant of £500, for which we are all very grateful, Lord Sherborne advised those who were interested in the Institution to fall back on the generosity of some British Herodes Atticus. Well, gentlemen, during the course of last year a most welcome Herodes Britannicus vel Americanus appeared in the person of Mr. Astor, who gave the munificent and wholly unsolicited gift of £1,000 for the Spartan excavations. (Cheers)

William Waldorf Astor (1848-1919) was owner of Hever Castle in Kent (and former owner of Clivedon House in Buckinghamshire). He had become a British subject in 1899.

Image
The Eurotas valley from Mistra. © David Gill.

'Trafficking' antiquities from Melos

The issue of looting and the destruction of archaeological sites is not a new one. Cecil Harcourt-Smith, at the Annual Meeting of Subscribers in July 1897 commented about the need for excavation on Melos:

The antiquities of the islands are in many instances still comparatively unexplored, and are subject to the caprice, or even the trafficking, of the ignorant peasantry, and it is therefore highly desirable that, before it is too late, everything that can be done should be done to place on record their valuable but steadily disappearing remains of art and history.