The Journal was established in 1852 to disseminate information about the Society's activities and included transcriptions of lectures. Unlike the annual printed Transactions which preceded it, the Journal was initially published weekly.\nRecords include files and papers on the production of the Journal and other related promotional publications and press and publicity generally. Complete runs of the Journal are available for consultation in the Research Room at the RSA. Each volume is indexed and there are cumulative 10 year indexes for the Journal up to 1952.
The minutes, agendas and supporting papers are largely records of decisions taken on general policy and administration. \nThe Management Group are responsible for the internal administration of the RSA. The Director is the link between Trustees and Council and the Management Group. These files sometimes include minutes from the Section Heads Group meeting.
Minutes of the Society, Minutes of the Council and other committees relating to the governance of the organisation. The minutes are largely records of decisions taken on general policy and administration and the confirmation or rejection of reports from committees. Names of candidates for election as subscribing or corresponding members with addresses and proposers are given (up to 1900).\n\nFinance & General Purposes Committee Minutes were bound together with the Council Minutes between 1952 -1964, and so are catalogued with the Council minutes for this period. Thereafter they were bound separately, and the F&GP minutes can be found under RSA/AD/MA/400/12/02.
As well as various standing committees (see individual entries for Mechanics Committee, Polite Arts Committee, Agriculture Committee, Committee of Colonies and Trade and Chemistry Committee) the Society regularly set up ad-hoc committees to discuss a broad range of topics concerned with the programme and administration of the Society. These include the Committee of Correspondence and Papers and the Committee of Miscellaneous Matters\n\nRecords include minutes of the diverse committees and correspondence to the members of the committees. Correspondence in this section is mainly administrative or on topics which could not be covered by the main subject committees.
The Society has only recently established a personnel department. Staff matters and pensions were dealt with by senior managers and accounts staff. It includes some personal reminiscences of some longer-serving staff members. \n\nThis series of twentieth century material relates mainly to general policy on staffing although it does include a small amount of information relating to individuals which may be sensitive. The RSA reserves the right to restrict access to this series of records.
The President is the titular head of the Society. Past Presidents include Viscount Folkestone 1755-1761,Lord Romney 1761-1793,Duke of Norfolk 1794-1815, HRH The Duke of Sussex 1816-1843,HRH Albert, Prince Consort 1843-1861, William Tooke 1862, HRH The Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII) 1863-1901, Sir Frederick Bramwell 1901, HRH The Prince of Wales (later King George V) 1901-1910, Lord Alverstone 1910, HRH The Duke of Connaught 1911-1942, Sir Edward Crowe 1942-1943, E F Armstrong 1943-1945, Viscount Bennett 1945-1947, HRH The Princess Elizabeth 1947-1952, HRH The Duke of Edinburgh 1952-2011\n\nRecords comprise correspondence and papers from 1947 with the President and Royal Household staff about administrative arrangements. Other items of correspondence can be found within AD/MA/100
Printed matter including Charter and Bye Laws and Rules and Orders, miscellaneous reports, lists of Council members and officers, annual addresses to Members
Lecture series started in 1961 by John A Chambliss, Senior to commemorate the three outstanding American landscape architects Bradford Williams, Vaughan Cornish and Gordon Cooper. The name of the series 'Reflection Riding', is the name of a landscape park near Lookout Mountain, Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA
The Society organised annual receptions for Fellows and members of Council. Although essentially social events, they were used as an opportunity to raise funds.
Annual reports were issued as a statement of the Society's activities over the year, initially within the Journal (from 1852). By the 1980s the Annual Report was issued as a separate publication.
Awarded to annually to speakers deemed to have given the most interesting lecture over the preceding year. The medal was re-designed in 1948 by Percy Metcalf RDI
Gifts produced by the Commercial Director for sale, includes calendars, jigsaws, ties and scarves. Christmas cards and postcards appear in a different series, PR.GE/109
The William Shipley Appeal was established to raise funds for the Society, in particular for the refurbishment of the Great Room, for the Society's programme, for regional development and for the Archive Project. This series includes photographs taken at the launch event in May 1996 which was attended by Prince Philip as president