| StorageSite | UCL SSEES |
| Level | Collection |
| Reference Number | EVA |
| Title | Evans (Arthur) Collection |
| Date | 1838-1936 |
| Description | Papers of Sir Arthur John Evans, relating to his journalistic and political activities in the Balkans, comprising:
Articles, lectures, memoranda, notebooks, notes, sketches and correspondence re the Balkans, including Bosnia, Herzegovina, Serbia and Macedonia, particularly the Adriatic question and possibilities for a South Slav state, 1875-1932; Evans' photographs of Balkan people and places, c 1884, 1932; press cuttings on the Balkans, 1877-1935, including volumes of articles by Evans as Balkans correspondent of the 'Manchester Guardian', based in Ragusa [now Dubrovnik], 1877-1888; press cuttings on Serbia, Montenegro and the creation of a united South Slav state, 1915-1919 and cuttings re relations between Italy and the new Yugoslav state mainly from the Italian press, 1918-1919; volume of cuttings by or about Evans on archaeology, 1880-1889; pamphlets, press bulletins and offprints mainly on the South Slavs, 1904-1922. |
| Extent | 8 boxes, 10 volumes and 1 map. |
| AdminHistory | Arthur John Evans (1851-1941) had recently graduated from Oxford University and was travelling in Bosnia with his brother Lewis in 1874 when a Christian peasant rebellion against Ottoman rule began. On his return to Britain, Evans published an account of his experiences and as a result of his knowledge of the Balkans which were at that moment in crisis, he immediately became known as an authority on the region. His involvement deepened as he became secretary of the British Fund for Balkan refugees and special correspondent for the 'Manchester Guardian' in the Balkans, based in Ragusa (now Dubrovnik), Croatia. His reports however raised suspicions of spying among the Austrian authorities and as a result in 1882 he was arrested for high treason, imprisoned and expelled. Evans retained a concern for the area for the rest of his life.
The papers in this collection relate to Evans' journalistic and political activities in the Balkans, however the career for which he achieved most reknown was archaeology. Whilst working as a journalist in Ragusa 1876-1882 and on later visits, he was a pioneer in identifying sites of Roman cities and roads in Bosnia and Macedonia. In 1884 he became keeper of the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, a post he held until 1908, after which time he became honorary keeper. In 1894 he began travels in Crete. It was here that he made his most famous archaeological find with the excavation of the Palace of Minos in Crete 1899-1907, in Greek mythology home of the Minotaur. Evans was also a founder member of the British Academy in 1902 and was knighted in 1911. He married Margaret Freeman in 1878, she shared in his work but died in 1893. |
| Acquisition | Some of the material (EVA/1) was bequeathed to ICS by Sir Arthur Evans, and the remaining material (EVA/2) is on long-term loan from the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford. |
| Arrangement | The papers are divided into two series: EVA/1 - material bequeathed by Evans to SSEES, and EVA/2 - material on long-term loan from the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford. Both series contain similar material - Evans's writings, notes, sketches, correspondence, press cuttings, pamphlets and offprints relating to the Balkans. |
| AccessStatus | Open |
| AccessConditions | Unrestricted access. Researchers wishing to consult the archives or seeking further information should contact UCL School of Slavonic and East European Studies Library, 16 Taviton Street, London, WC1H 0BW.
Please note some items from this collection will be unavailable until early 2024. |
| Related Material | SSEES also holds the papers of Evans' wife, Margaret (Ref. EVM).
The Ashmolean Museum, Oxford has a large collection of Evans' artefacts and papers relating to his career as an archaeologist. The Pitt-Rivers Museum, Oxford has a small collection (ref. B63) mainly of pencil drawings made by Evans in the Balkans. |
| FindingAids | Online catalogue available on UCL Archives website. |