The Society's commitment to the Commonwealth dates back to colonial development premiums from 1754. The Indian Section was formed in 1869 and merged with the Foreign and Colonial Section to deliver lectures on topics of interest in this area. This had become the Commonwealth Section by 1951. The Commonwealth Section Committee continued to contribute to the lecture programme until 1987 when the Committee was disbanded in favour of two of the members joining the Lecture Programme Committee to enable them to give direct advice to the Lecture Programme Committee as full members of that committee.\nRecords comprise administrative correspondence and papers and photographs. Minutes of the committee have been filed with miscellaneous 20th century committees
Signed minutes and papers
Includes copies of entry forms, notices and general correspondence
Includes correspondence about arrangement of lectures, topics for discussion, attendance at and composition of committee, and general administrative correspondence about the committee and its demise in 1987
Includes correspondence and notes about a proposed Indian art museum at South Kensington, the Rabindranath Tagore centenary and blue plaque erection, the Thomas Holland memorial lecture and the R B Bennett Memorial Prize. This was endowed by Lord Bennett in 1944 on the understanding that it should be given by the President of the Society every third year for the most outstanding contribution from the Dominion, India and the Colonies to the promotion of the arts, agriculture, industries and commerce of the Overseas Empire during each intervening period. \n\nPrize awarded:\n1945 Dr C Camsell, Deputy Minister for Mines, Canadian Government, in recognition of the work of exploration and mineral survey which he carried out in the North-West Province of Canada\n\n1948 Sir Frank Stockdale, Development Planning Adviser to the Secretary of State for the Colonies, in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the promotion of agriculture and social welfare in the Colonial Empire.\n\n1951 Sir Bruce Levy, Director of the Grasslands Research Division, New Zealand Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, for his important work on grassland farming, which had great influence not only on New Zealand, but also in Great Britain and the Empire generally.\n\n1954 Dr C J Mackenzie CMG, MC, FRS for his important work in the field of engineering and atomic research . Dr Mackenzie's work as President of the Atomic Energy Control Board from 1948-52 and, subsequently, until his retirement last year, as President of the Atomic Energy of Canada, Ltd, a Crown Company, has had great influence, not only in Canada, but throughout the whole Commonwealth.\n\n1957 Benedict Enwonwu MBE, for his achievements as a sculptor and his work in encouraging the development of African Art.\n\n1960 Dr E W R Steacie OBE, FRS, President of the National Research Council of Canada, for his contributions to the development of pure and applied science in Canada and in the Commonwealth\n\n1963 Dr H C Coombs, MA, PhD, HonLLD for his contributions to the \ndevelopment of banking, economics and the arts in Australia\n\n1966 Ian Hunter, MBE for his work in organising the first Commonwealth Arts Festival in London in 1965\n\n1969 Michael Harrison, MBE for his work on developing new techniques \nof maize breeding and in introducing an improved system of \nintegrated husbandry in East Africa.\n\n1972 Professor Walter Plowright for his work in the field of virology and \nthe improvement of animal health in Africa\n\n1975 Arnold Smith, CH, Secretary General of the Commonwealth \nSecretariat, in recognition of his work in the encouragement of Commonwealth co-operation in science and education\n\n1978 Dr Vassos Karageorghis, Director of Dept of Antiquities, Cyprus for his very important contributions to the advancement of archaeology in Cyprus, and his leading role in international collaboration in the field of archaeology.\nAND Dr R Lindsay Wallace, Director of Agricultural Research for the New Zealand Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries for his outstanding contribution to agricultural science. \n[First time since the institution of the prize that two awards have been made in the same year. Both recipients nominated by their respective governments]\n\n1981 Sir Josua Rabukawaqa KBE, MVO. First Fiji High Commissioner \nto London, later served as roving Ambassador for the Pacific Forum Countries. Established the Fijian Composers and Performers Association; formed a Choir Masters Association. In 1980 appointed Head of the Fijian Culture Project.\n\n1984 Dr M S Swaminathan FRS, Director General of the International \nRice Research Institute, Los Banos, Philippines for his contributions to agricultural and human nutrition. Twenty universities in India and abroad have conferred on him Doctor of Science degrees.\n\n1987 Dr David Franklyn Allen, Chairmain, National Drug Council of the \nBahamas, for his outstanding contributions to both the Bahamian and international communities in the field of drug addiction, with particular reference to the misuse of cocaine.\n
Consists of an Outline for the first Communications Committee Meeting 11 June 1996, one set of Minutes and papers dated 10 September 1996, sugestions for education possibilites for the scheme and several pieces of correspondence.
Awarded the first premium of £50
Highly commended by the judges
Awarded the second premium of £25
These files were weeded by the Arts section at which point all entries, other than those shortlisted, were destroyed. The Archivist weeded duplicate copies of compositions.\nAlmost every file is composed of an entry form, music score, cassette recording of the composition and accompanying correspondence. Each entry form has been given a number as a means of identification.
Premiums for design for a drinking fountain offered by the Metropolitan Drinking Fountain and Cattle Trough Association. The RSA assisted in the organisation of the competition. The object was to procure a design which was both attractive and practical. The competitors were asked to keep in mind certain considerations: the fountain was likely to be erected, free standing in a public park, open space or playground and should be capable of being carried out in natural stone but metal might be introduced in a suitable manner. The closing date of the competition was 31 July 1946 by which time 192 designs were received from 165 competitors. The assessors were Mr Oswarld P. Milne, Chairman of the RSA, Mr Keith Murray, Master of the Faculty of Royal Designers for Industry and Surgeon Vice-Admiral Sir Reginald Bond, Metropolitan Drinking Fountain and Cattle Trough Association.\n\nThe file includes administrative correspondence, a pamphlet detailing the terms and conditions of the competition, and the assessors report.\n\n
The RSA conducted a competition for the design of a painted wall panel to be executed for the main Entrance Hall of the Office Block in the National Cash Register Company's new building in Kingsway West, Dundee, Scotland. The subject of the panel being a Scottish Scene.\n\nAmong the administrative correspondence are details of the competition, plans of the building, the assessors report and names of the winners.
Awarded third premium - 'The Dundee Jute Traders 'entry (No. 64) shared the third premium equally with No 27.
Correspondence about submissions and arrangements for judging
In November 1944 the Council of the RSA was invited by the Bishop of Columbo, as chairman of the Columbo New Cathedral Committee to act as the agent in London for his committee in organising a competition open to qualified members of the Royal Institute of British Architects or allied bodies, for a design for the projected new Anglican Cathedral in Columbo. The Council agreed to sponsor the competition and arranged that it should be administered by the Committee of the Dominions and Colonies Section, under the Chairmanship of Sir Harry Lindsay. The choice of Sir Giles Gilbert Scott as Assessor had been arranged with the Royal Institute of British Architects.\n\nAmong the correspondence is the conditions of the competition, names and addresses of competitors, administrative correspondence, the Assessors final report and site plans of the cathedral.
A4 poster advertising the Composers' Competition.
Awarded £3-3-0 premiums for drawings of beasts by youths under 21
In class for compositions of ornaments after nature for under 15 year olds
Drawn by Joseph Clement, engraved by James Davis