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Record

CodePX504
Dates1907-1981
Person NameDoncaster; John Priestman (1907-1981); Entomologist; Keeper of Entomology
SurnameDoncaster
ForenamesJohn Priestman
EpithetEntomologist; Keeper of Entomology
ActivityMuseum staff: Directorate: Joined the Natural History Museum as Assistant Keeper in the Exhibition Section in 1937. He was responsible for the rehabilitation of some of the war damaged galleries at South Kensington, especially the Bird Gallery. He became Keeper of Entomology in either 1960 or 1961 and, as he lived in nearby Harpenden, he made regular visits to Tring Museum on Friday afternoons to keep in touch with its entomological work. In 1968 he relinquished the Keepership to return to his own research on aphids. His connections with Tring continued, however, and he was involved with organising the transfer of the various parts of the Entomology Department to South Kensington, as well as being the Museum's representative at site meetings for the new Ornithology building. He was acting Officer-in-Charge of Tring during Dr Snow's absence from February 1970 until the Foundation Stone Ceremony on 7th May 1970 and on subsequent occasions when Dr Snow was absent. Because of his interest in the exhibition side of things he took on overall responsibility for the re-decoration and refurbishment of Tring's public galleries in 1970 and 1971 until he finally retired in 1972. This involved various tasks, from deciding where the new exit staircases should be to organising postcards and sales staff for the 'postcard table'.

Times Obituary 30 April 1981 with Press Cuttings - Personalia.
Catalogue
RefNoTitle
DF/ADM/1005/26Doncaster, John P
DF/ENT/340/31/10Flea collection (I)
DF/ENT/340/26/13British Museum (Annual Reports)
DF/ENT/340/27/2British Museum (Doncaster, John Priestman I)
DF/PH/7/2/4Doncaster, J P: retirement
DF/ENT/311/219Doncaster, J P: G B Buckton's works on Aphidoidea (Hemiptera)
DF/PH/7/2/4/3J P Doncaster with his wife at his retirement
DF/ENT/334/4/5Eastop, Victor Frank: Correspondence, with a few letters of J P Doncaster, H - L
DF/TRI/3000/7/29Officer in Charge - J E Dandy, then J P Doncaster (from [October])
DF/ENT/334/4/7Eastop, Victor Frank: Correspondence, with a few letters of J P Doncaster, S
DF/PH/2/5/4Staff Photographs: Geology assistants at work
DF/ENT/334/4/1Eastop, Victor Frank: Correspondence, with a few letters of J P Doncaster, A - B
DF/ENT/334/4/3Eastop, Victor Frank: Correspondence, with a few letters of J P Doncaster, Do - Hi
DF/ENT/307/68Doncaster, John P
DF/ENT/334/4/6Eastop, Victor Frank: Correspondence, with a few letters of J P Doncaster, M - R
DF/ENT/340/1/12Allan, Ronald M (II)
DF/PH/7/2/4/2J P Doncaster with his wife at his retirement
DF/ENT/334/4/8Eastop, Victor Frank: Correspondence, with a few letters of J P Doncaster, S - Z
DF/PH/7/2/4/1J P Doncaster receiving presentation from unindentified person on retirement
DF/ENT/334/4/2Eastop, Victor Frank: Correspondence, with a few letters of J P Doncaster, C - Di
DF/PUB/516/4/37The Succession of Life Through Geological Time
DF/ZOO/200/77/12Candidates: File 7
DF/PH/2/1/6/13Staff Photograph: Doncaster, John Priestman, Entomology Department
DF/ENT/340/27/3British Museum (Doncaster, John Priestman II)
DF/EXH/701Exhibition Section: Internal Administration and Visitor Surveys
DF/ENT/340/26/15British Museum (China, Dr William Edward)
DF/ENT/340/19/5Rothschild, Dr Honorable Miriam Luisa (Miriam Lane) (V)
DF/ENT/340/25/5Valenti - Vasquez
DF/ENT/332/1/66Wade, N M L; Wagener, Dr P S; Wakely, Sir L; Walker, G; Walshe, Mrs; Walters, M P; Wang, Prof Y M; Ward, P; Warham, A A; Warnecke, Dr G; Waterhouse, B; Watson, C; Wattison, J T
DF/EXHExhibitions, Education and Events
DF/EXH/700Exhibitions and Galleries
DF/ENT/334/4/9Eastop, Victor Frank: Correspondence, with a few letters of J P Doncaster, letters from Theodore L Bissell and A Grant Robinson
DF/ENT/334/4/4Eastop, Victor Frank: Correspondence, with a few letters of J P Doncaster, Dick Hille Ris Lambers
DF/ENT/340/8/4Haynes - Hazell
DF/ENT/340/2/13Berlinguer, Prof Giovanni (Istituto di Parassitologia, Università di Roma, Italy)
DF/PH/2/1/1/5Staff Photograph: John Priestman Doncaster, Keeper of Entomology, head & shoulders
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