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Archival description
The Countryside in 1970

First conference held at Fishmongers' Hall 4-5 November 1963, RSA participated in this along with The Nature Conservancy and co-organised the second and third conferences. Second conference, 10-12 November 1965 was held at the RSA for the first two days and at the Fishmongers' Hall for the third.\nThe last conference in the series was held at the Guildhall, London, 26-28 October 1970\nSource: The RSA and the environment, edited by Timothy Cantell, 1993\n\nThe RSA took responibility for all administrative matters about the Conference in 1964. The Nature Conservancy retained responsibility for arrangement and editing of the relevant papers and for drawing up the programme. In 1968 the Standing Committee for the 'Countryside in 1970' considered a paper about a permanent scheme of awards for projects on the ground which succeed in improving the countryside or extending nature reserves. It was agreed that it would be a good means of promoting active care for the countryside and involvement of the whole community. The committee thought it advisable that the first awards should be made in 1970. Recognising that the '1970' organisation was unsuited to undertake such a scheme they decided that a sub-committee should consider ways and means of organising and financing a Scheme and enter into negociations with potential sponsors. \n\nRecords include administrative correspondence, minutes of meetings, reports, files and papers, publicity and printed matter and photographs

Thomas Cubitt Trust

The Thomas Cubitt Trust worked with the Society for a short period to develop a series of annual lectures on architecture and building. These lectures were published in the Journal. Thomas Cubitt had been a member of the Society. He, along with Henry Cole, Francis Fuller and Scott Russell attended the historic meeting with Prince Albert at Buckingham Palace on 30 June 1848 at which the Great Exhibition was born. The RSA-Cubitt Trust Panel was a sub-committee of the Committee for the Environment. It met three or four times a year and convened one conference or seminar annually as well as the Cubitt Lecture.

Albert Medal

A general meeting of the Society was specially convened on 21st March 1862 to discuss suitable memorials to Prince Albert, President of the Society for eighteen years (1843-1861). At this meeting the Council put forward their resolution 'that a gold medal, to be called the Albert medal, be provided by the Society, to be awarded by the Council not oftener than once a year, for distinguished merit in promoting Arts, Manufactures or Commerce'. (A commemorative bust was also decided upon at this meeting).\n\nLeonard Wyon produced the design of the Medal showing the head of Albert in later life on the obverse. Other artists were commissioned for designs from which the reverse might be selected, such designs to be illustrative of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce. The first award was made in 1864 to Sir Rowland Hill for his reforms to the postal system, the benefits of which extended over the civilised world.\n\n'The list of recipients forms a record of the greatest of those who have laboured to benefit mankind, and whose service lends lustre to the reputation of the sagacious and benevolent Prince in whose memory it was founded'.\n\nWinners of the Albert Medal are offered Honorary Fellowship of the RSA.\n\nIncludes files and working papers on the selection of candidates, arrangements for ceremonies and general administration, as well as photographs of medal presentation ceremonies

In the immediate post war period the Society organised a number of small exhibitions at the House. The principal exhibition was the 'Exhibition of Exhibitions', the Society's contribution to the commemoration of the 1851 Great Exhibition. Opened on 1st May 1951 by HRH The Princess Elizabeth, President of the Society. it was associated with the Festival of Britain. \nIncludes files and papers on arrangements for the exhibitions, publicity material and catalogues as well as photographs of exhibits and of the opening ceremonies

In 1949 the Society began to produce a Christmas card to sell to Fellows. Various artists were commissioned to design a card annually. The subject usually related to the Society's history. Postcards of some of the Society's works of art were also published as postcards at various times.The series includes sample of cards produced and photographs used in their production.

Guard Books

The original sequence of material and original folio numbers have been retained where possible and the contents are listed to item level. The letters cover the period 1754 to 1770 and are in approximate chronological order.The series has been placed in a general category as it covers a range of subjects.

Many bequests have been made to the Society and Trusts instituted to promote the Society's work in specific areas. The Society became a registered charity in 1962 and its fundraising activities were formalised with the establishment of a development department in the 1990s.\nRecords include administrative correspondence and files, printed matter and publicity material and images