Papers of Denise Gross (1906–1971), archaeologist
one box of material consisting mainly of correspondence from Gerhard Fock between 1968-1970, as well as some notes relating to her collection of slides and rubbings of South African rock art in the Pitt Rivers Museum collection.
Correspondence includes:
3 letters from Denise Gross to i) Bernard Fagg (Curator of the Pitt Rivers Musem) dated 26.9.1969 ii) Professor E. Anati (Centro dell’Arte Rupestre Camuna, Brescia, Italy) dated 19.4.1969 iii) Gerhard Fock dated 25.8.1969.
6 letters from Bernard Fagg (Curator of the Pitt Rivers Musem) to Denise Gross between 1967 and 1970, discussing her voluntary work at the Museum, collection of rubbings, and social matters.
1 letter from Bernard Fagg (Curator of the Pitt Rivers Musem) to Gerhard Fock in Kimberley, S.A., dated 19.1.1970.
41 letters from Gerhard and Dora Fock to Denise Gross, dated between 2.4.1968 and 31.12.1970, discussing rock art research in South Africa.
3 museum files of correspondence between Bernard Fagg (Curator) and various others, on the making of reproductions from Gross's original rubbings of petroglyphs for the Museum in the mid 1960s, and Denise Gross's bequest of her original rubbings in 1972.
Notes include:
2 off-prints of ‘A Rock-Engraving of “Flying-Buck”’ by G. J. Fock, from the South African Archaeological Bulletinm Vol. 23, March 1969, sent by Fock to Gross in 1969.
Off-print of ‘A distinctive mythical figure appearing in the rock paintings of Southern Rhodesia’ by E. Goodall, from Mortelmans, G. & Nenquin, J. (eds) Actes du IVe Congres Panafricain de Prehistoire et de Vetude du Quaternaire. Section III. Pre- et Protohistoire: 399-405. Tervuren: Musee Royal de l'Afrique Centrale Annales-Serie 8, Sciences Humaines 40.
Off-print of ‘Report of the Curator of the Pitt Rivers Museum for the year ending 31 July 1966’, which mentions that ‘Miss Denise Gross gave very valuable voluntary assistance in the documentation department of the museum, travelling from London for this purpose, on average, once a week’ (p2).
Envelope titled ‘Bergdama washgirl Farm Cha[rius?], S.W.G., Kaokoveld, and on reverse ‘Print and transparency for Prof. Tobias or his sec. Mrs Levine.’. Contains colour print of African woman washing clothes in galvanised wash-tub.
Ring-binder of notes, seemingly documentation relating to collection of slides of rock art held at the Pitt Rivers Museum.
Two small ring-bound volumes, titled ‘South African Petroglyphs’, by Denise Gross 1966-7, containing a list of rubbings made by Gross. List possibly matches rubbings in the PRM collection.
Related Resources
Collections of photographs and rubbings: Pitt Rivers Museum, University of Oxford
Enquiries: ms-photo.colls@prm.ox.ac.uk
