Cust, Lionel; Colvin, Sidney [Hrsg.]: History of the Society of Dilettanti (London, 1898)

io6 History of the Society of Dilettanti

Marbles These fragments of the frieze from the Parthenon

a'ld . appear to have remained in the custody of the Royal

presented to Academy until 1817, when they were handed over

the British to the British Museum. On May 22, 1784, Mr.

Museum. Peachey moved, Mr. Windham seconded,

* That all Marbles the Property of the Dilettanti Society, on
which are inscriptions, be presented to the British Museum which
motion being put was carried on condition that they are placd
in such situations as the Members of the Dilettanti Society who
are Trustees of the British Museum shall approve and proper
inscriptions be affixed to them Commemorating the gift of the
Dilettanti Society.'

On March 13, 17 8 /, the secretary read a letter
from the Trustees of the British Museum by the
hands of their secretary, the Revd. Mr. Harper, as
follows:—

British Museum, January 7/1785:.
Sir,

I am orderd by the standing Committee of the Trustees
of the British Museum to request the Favor of you to return their
respectfull Thanks to the Society of Dilettanti for the very valuable
present of Marbles with which they have been pleasd to enrich
this Collection and to assure them of their readiness to comply
with the conditions annexd thereto.

(Signed) J. Harper, Sec.
Sir Jos. Banks, Bart.

Sec. to the Society of Dilettanti.

At a later date all the drawings made by Revett and
Pars were deposited by the Society of the Dilettanti
with the Trustees of the British Museum. They were
entrusted to the care of the Keeper of the Greek and
Roman Antiquities, but were transferred to that of
the Keeper of the Prints and Drawings until 1893,
when they were, with the exception of certain
selected water-colour drawings by Pars, retransferred
to the department of Classical Antiquities.