Pitt-Rivers and Webster

B456 Salisbury and South Wiltshire Museum Pitt-Rivers papers

William Downing Webster (1863-1913) was one of the foremost ethnographic dealers of the last part of the nineteenth-century in England. He was based in Bicester, Oxfordshire and London. Later in life he married Eva Cutter, another London-based ethnographic dealer. See Waterfield/King, Provenance. Barbier-Mueller Museum, 2006 for more information about him. Pitt-Rivers first known dealings with him were in August 1895, around the date of the first surviving letter. In June 1895 he had issued his first illustrated catalogue of ethnographic items for sale and this might have stimulated Pitt-Rivers to contact him.

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This letter is undated so it is not clear where it should go, Pitt Rivers got a New Guinea bowl from Webster in April 1896 so it might date from then

W.D. Webster | Collector of Ethnological Specimens, European and Eastern Arms and Armour | Oxford House, Bicester, Oxon.

Dear Sir

I beg to acknowledge your letter and to say that I have forwarded you all three pieces of reddeer horn, the piece from the Stand I am not making any charge for, you can certainly keep the pamphlet on same

This morning I had an order from Hamburg for every Dancing Mask & New Guinea shield, the only specimen that I sent you that was not ordered was the New Guinea bowl you got

I remain
Yours faithfully
W.D. Webster

Genl Pitt Rivers

P.S. Sent per Tisbury Ry Pass train

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W.D. Webster | Collector of Ethnological Specimens, European and Eastern Arms and Armour | Oxford House, Bicester, Oxon. | Edinburgh Friday Aug 16/95

Dear Sir

I beg to acknowledge your letter, I am surprised the New Ireland dancing Club has not arrived as it was sent off the morning you wrote for it.

I bought the Lapland skull & I presented to Mr Napier together which was written on in ink but the once you got was written in pencil. I showed it to a medical gentleman & he said it was correct.

The harp you mention is Burmese but I sold it some time ago to a gentleman for 37/6 but have not received the money for that & some other specimens, I am writing to him tonight asking if he will part with it, he is not a collector but an artist.

I expect to have a fine lot of fresh specimens in next week as I am now going round the Country buying, have just had a large order from Berlin Museum they want all the New Guinea dancing masks & that Dancing shield you got & a lot other things.

I give  you sketches of two musical instruments. Either Burmese or Malay [Drawing] Yellow polished wood full length 36 in 9 1/4 wide. the instrument is not hollow but consists of one piece about 1 1/2" thick & all ivory mounted with grotesque or convention head at end £1.10.0

[Drawing] Two stringed instrument wooden bowl & dark haw [?] wood stem 7/6 full length 24 inch

Both instruments have lost their strings

No 110 in June catalogue is a very interesting specimen there is none like it in your Collection at Oxford.

I enclose a/c as requested - Shall return home in a few days, all letters are forwarded on to me.

I remain
Yours faithfully
W.D. Webster

Genl Pitt Rivers | Rushmore

The New Guinea dancing shield is probably Add.9455vol3_p1176 /2 so it obviously did turn up eventually. The Lapland skull appears to be Add.9455vol3_p1177 /3, the instruments do not appear in the catalogue of the second collection.

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Ansd Sept 18/95

W.D. Webster | Collector of Ethnological Specimens, European and Eastern Arms and Armour | Oxford House, Bicester, Oxon. | Sept 13/95

Dear Sir

I beg to acknowledge your letter enclosing cheque & enclose receipt herewith.

The two New Guinea specimens have been sent off this day per passenger train

A Burmese Pedestal

I enclose another proof which kindly return as I have no marks on it I have marked in red what glasses missing which is silvered white glass with the exception of one piece of amber in the centre left panel, this can easily [illegible] in as the glass is embedded in cement there are two or three other pieces that are cracked but not noticeable.

The ends are not glass but as shewn over, there is about 2 makes of woodwork (which is teak) above top glass shewn in drawing which would be right for fixing moulding if it was going to be made into anything, it can be well packed & sent you on approval if you wish but if you do not keep it kindly return it at once as I have written a gentleman at Durham about it who goes in for Indian work

I remain
Yours faithfully
W.D. Webster

Genl Pitt Rivers | Rushmore

P.S. Have sent two N.G. specimens by goods instead of passenger to Tisbury station

The two New Guinea objects were Add.9455vol3_p1204 /1-2, the Burmese pedestal is Add.9455vol3_p1215 /2

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W.D. Webster | Collector of Ethnological Specimens, European and Eastern Arms and Armour | Oxford House, Bicester, Oxon. | Oct 3/95

Dear Sir

I herewith send you sketches of four Samoan Clubs I bought at same time as the one I sent you on appro The three longest 20/- each the smallest 10/-

Kindly let me have the sketches of same back & oblige

I remain
Yours faithfully
W.D. Webster

Genl Pitt Rivers

P.S. The Dyak dress I mentioned arrived today & is New Guinea, the breast ornament of same is very fine composed of 18 split boar tusks shells & coix seeds, but have not bought it yet

The Samoan club he had already sent was Add.9455vol3_p1217 /1, Pitt-Rivers does not appear to have purchased the others, or at least they are not listed in the catalogue of the second collection.

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W.D. Webster | Collector of Ethnological Specimens, European and Eastern Arms and Armour | Oxford House, Bicester, Oxon. | April 22/96

Dear Sir

I beg to acknowledge your order with best thanks, the only reduction I can make is 5% five per cent for cash. Everything in your order I could have sold without troubling to catalogue to either Vienna. Berlin. Dresden Hamburg & Stockholm Museums all of which are wanting those things I shall have [illegible] by telegram for them in morning, if I was to let one Museum have them the others would say I had given them preference so I now sell to first person whose order comes in, I have visited all the Ethnographical Museums on the Continent this year & without exception they asked me ask more for my specimens they all give me far larger orders than people & museums in England

The two boomerangs 97 & 98 went to Edinburgh Museum this morning. With reference to the North American tent, it was too large to make a sketch of & is far better than I thought when I catalogued it, there are painted figures all round with tomahawks, &c it is a specimen I am certain of selling to Christchurch Museum New Zealand, I have sent it you on approval & will accept seven guineas cash for it I gave six guineas. I know two gentlemen in Borneo who promised to get me some heads the one I have got I could not take less than £2.5.0 for

I remain
Yours faithfully
W.D. Webster

Genl Pitt Rivers

P.S. The New Zealand paddle [insert] 63 [end insert] took 63 me three months to get I bought from Capt Chegwyn con [?] who wanted £150 for it there is not another like it in Europe, It is a long figure but very little more more than it cost me I would not take any less for it

The paddle could possibly be Add.9455vol8_p2248 /2

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W.D. Webster | Collector of Ethnological Specimens, European and Eastern Arms and Armour | Oxford House, Bicester, Oxon. | Feby 17, 1897

Dear Sir

I beg to acknowledge your letter & telegram, and have this day forwarded you per passenger train the two specimens telegraphed for & also a pair of carved wood stirrups which came out of a collection of Armour I sold at Lambourne Place Bucks some years ago

Did you notice no 27 has a man & a turtle carved on it. I hope to finish four more pages of my Catalogue tonight & will ask the printers to send you proofs, and if you will send me a post card with numbers of any of the specimens you would like I will reserve them for you, address [insert] W.D.W. [end insert] c/o Dr Hylman Stolpe | National Museum | Stockholm Where I shall be next Wednesday or Thursday. I shall be having proofs of the four pages sent to me at Amsterdam & shall most probably sell most of the things catalogued so for while I am away I leave here tomorrow for London

I remain
Yours faithfully
W.D. Webster

Genl Pitt Rivers

NB I am not sure the date of this letter has been read right, it might be later

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W.D. Webster | Collector of Ethnological Specimens, European and Eastern Arms and Armour | Oxford House, Bicester, Oxon. | Feby.15.1897

Dear Sir

I have this day forwarded to my printers first eight pages of my next catalogue and have told them to send proofs of some on to you direct to save time. I think several of the specimens will suit so kindly let me know as soon as you receive proofs as I am going to Holland & Sweden at the end of the week & if you write at once I can get the things off before I go.

I shall be much obliged if you would kindly let me have a cheque for the specimens you bought when I was at Rushmore, as I expect to buy a quantity of specimens on my way back at Hamburg,

I remain
Yours faithfully
W.D. Webster

Genl Pitt Rivers

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W.D. Webster | Collector of Ethnological Specimens, European and Eastern Arms and Armour | Oxford House, Bicester, Oxon. | July 17, 1897

Dear Sir

I beg to acknowledge your letter and to say that the Burmese saddle must be for a horse as the bridle that is with it could not possibly be for an Elephant.

You can have the stone Idol for £4.4 less 5& for cash, it cost me £3.10 without my travelling expenses & the carriage of it here.

Kindly send me a cheque to

3 Kendal Villas
Thurlow Park Road
West Dulwich
London

Where I shall be on Saturday & stay till the Monday when I go to Amsterdam

I do not know if my printers have sent you proofs so enclose some beneath if you wish for the things before I go away you had better wire me the numbers if you have not written when you receive this, I expect to get some Lapland specimens from Prof Retzius in Stockholm when I am there if there should be any engraved ones will give you first offer of them

I remain
Yours faithfully
W.D. Webster

Gustav Retzius (1842-1919) Swedish physician and anatomist. It is not clear which the stone idol is, there are a number of Mexican figures catalogued and dated September 1897 and it might be one of those, these were sold as a job lot, there is also a marble figure from India but that only cost £2.2.0. It may be that Pitt-Rivers did not buy. No Burmese saddle is listed in the catalogue of the second collection.

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W.D. Webster | Collector of Ethnological Specimens, European and Eastern Arms and Armour | Oxford House, Bicester, Oxon. | August 12th 98

Dear Sir

I beg to acknowledge your letter but must say I do not like the tone of it. You get the first offer of all my things that I think likely to suit you - at 5 per cent less than I ask anyone else - then you doubt my having buyers abroad for the same prices. I may tell you that for the large heads for tusk support I have never got less than £35 each & the smallest £25. the bronze plaques I have sold on the continent from £10 to £30 each, I am perfectly wiling to support my statement by sending you letters from continental museums up till the present time I have sold £821 worth of Benin specimens to 3 continental museums and £217 to English museums and to yourself at the time of writing £175.5.7. I quite admit I get good profits on some things else I could not live, as many of my things do not pay me. Except by having the name of getting all the best things that come into the market which I intend to keep up. Buyers like Mr Read & Partington I would not take the trouble to write to, as I would give four times what they would give myself.Many a time I have bought a quantity of specimens just to secure one good one. All the others are left on my hands. As a matter of fact I  do not feel a bit better off than when I started except that my collection has increased, and if I could afford it I certainly would not part with anything. Being just as much collector at heart as you are, & asa matter of fact I fell out with all my relations in taking my hobby up as a business & giving up my proper work as an Eccliastical designer.

I am sending the Benin & other things tomorrow the two Eskimo bows I will let you have at £10 nett all though they are the only two I have ever been able to get. I hope the Skeleton arrived safely

I remain
Yours faithfully
W.D. Webster

Genl Pitt Rivers

No Inuit bows are listed in the catalogue of the second collection, nor is a skeleton listed of either human or animal, Webster ended up selling 221 Benin objects to Pitt-Rivers.

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Ansd Apr. 27/ 99

Lake View Villas | Bowness on Windermere | April 25th 1899

Dear Sir

Your letter has just been forwarded on to me and I beg to say that I cannot allow any more than five per cent discount for cash. you only want my best specimens which I can easily sell and get the full price for. I give you the first offer of my best things, if you think my prices too high I will refrain from contacting you in future

I remain
Yours faithfully
W.D. Webster

Genl Pitt Rivers

Transcribed by AP for the Rethinking Pitt-Rivers project August 2011