ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd θɹˈiː, hiː dʒˈɔɪnd ðə bɹˈɪɾɪʃ mjuːzˈiəm æz ɐn ɐsˈɪstənt ɪnðə dᵻpˈɑːɹtmənt ʌv mˈænjuːskɹˌɪpts ænd ɹᵻmˈeɪnd ðɛɹ hɪz ɛntˈaɪɚ wˈɜːkɪŋ lˈaɪf, bᵻkˈʌmɪŋ dˈɛpjuːɾi kˈiːpɚɹ ʌvðə dᵻpˈɑːɹtmənt ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd twˈɛnti sˈɛvən ænd kˈiːpɚɹ ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd twˈɛnti nˈaɪn.
In 1903, he joined the British Museum as an assistant in the Department of Manuscripts and remained there his entire working life, becoming Deputy Keeper of the Department in 1927 and Keeper in 1929.