1. [Sierra Leone Content] – Luke, Harry Charles / CMG Award / [Basil Hood (Royal Navy)] /

Collection of Manuscript Letters Signed (MLS) / Autographed Letters Signed (ALS) as well as Telegrams from friends, colleagues and family regarding Harry Luke being awarded the CMG. The congratulations reached Luke during his posting in Sierra Leone.

[This item is part of the Sir Harry Luke – Archive / Collection]. London and other Places, January, 1926. Octavo. From the personal collection of Sir Harry Luke.

2. [Sierra Leone Content] – [Luke, Sir Harry / Lukach, Harry] Storrs, Sir Ronald Henry Amherst.

Typed Letter Signed (TLS) on Stationery of Government House, Cyprus, from Sir Ronald Henry Amherst Storrs to Sir Harry Luke. The one – page letter was written by Storrs in July 1927, during his posting as Governor of Cyprus and reached Sir Harry while he was still Colonial Secretary in Sierra Leone. Storrs writes: “My dear Harry – I can hardly bear to read the first and second pages of your letter….and even now feel a sort of suspense created by its maddeningly tantalizing information. I am consoled on the whole by your refusal of the G.C. from which, in spite of the extra cash, there was no possible increment to your now made reputation and which would, as you feared, have infallibly tended to prolong your exile in W.A. [West Africa]..[…]…Archer [that is Sir Geoffrey Francis Archer] has now put in (more surprisingly to me than actual resignation) for a transfer to the West Indies.”

[This item is part of the Sir Harry Luke – Archive / Collection]. Cyprus, July 6th, 1927. Octavo. 1 sheet (1 page). From the private collection / library of colonial governor, diplomat and historian, Sir Harry Luke.

3. [Sierra Leone Content] – [Luke, Sir Harry / Lukach, Harry] Fiddian, Alexander (Alex) [Colonial Office].

Typed Letter signed (TLS) on Colonial Office Stationery from Establishment Officer for the Colonial Office and the Dominians Office, Alexander (Alex) Fiddian) to Harry Luke, congratulating him on the CMG: ‘My dear Luke, hearty congratulations on this altogether overdue decoration. You will at any rate bring to the Order a certain literary éclat which hitherto has been very very rare indeed. I really think that for once the C.M.G. has been well deserved. I hope you are flourishing and find things all to the good. With best new year wishes Yours ever Alex Fiddian.’

[This item is part of the Sir Harry Luke – Archive / Collection]. London, Downing Street, January 1926. Octavo. 1 page with envelope and newspaper clipping with an obituary on Captain Edward Oliver Gladstone. From the private collection / library of colonial governor, diplomat and historian, Sir Harry Luke.

4. [Sierra Leone Content] – [Luke, Sir Harry / Lukach, Harry] Storrs, Sir Ronald Henry Amherst [ KCMG CBE ].

Typed Letter signed (TLS) from Sir Ronald Storrs to Sir Harry Luke. The letter was written during Storrs’ time as Governor in Jerusalem and is on British Colonial Office stationery: ‘My dear Harry – Thank you for yours of exactly one month ago. But no protestations will avail to wipe out from my family the imperishable memory of your behaviour at the wedding feast. I forward you King Pausolus and for earnest favour of return the intermittant Satyr from which I derived great benefit. Pirie-Gordon stayed with us three or four days of the pilgrimage and told me (greatly to my pleasure) that you had before leaving London something like definite personal encouragement for Ubr. Alas I fear Billy G’s visit will be too late to help; but if the worst has not happened by then your subcutaneous and intra-muscular propulsion will be infinitely esteemed by yours, with homage to the Princess Patricia, threys R S”.

[This item is part of the Sir Harry Luke – Archive / Collection]. Jerusalem, The Governorate, March 17th, 1926. Octavo. One page with original envelope. From the private collection / library of colonial governor, diplomat and historian, Sir Harry Luke.

5. [Sierra Leone Content] – [Luke, Sir Harry / Lukach, Harry] Larken, Vice-Admiral Sir Frank [KCB CMG / Naval Secretary].

Manuscript Letter signed (MLS) from Naval Secretary Sir Frank Larken to Sir Harry Luke. The letter addressed to Luke’s posting in Freetown, Sierra Leone [Envelope reads: ‘Harry C Luke Esq. CMG – The Colonial Secreatry – Sierra Leone’ – stamped: ‘Naval Secretary to First Lord’]. Sir Frank Larken congratulates Harry Luke on receiving the CMG [‘Companion’– Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George]. Larken writes: ‘My dear Luke – I send my best congratulations to you and Mrs. Luke on the CMG: it gave me great pleasure to see your name in the honours list. I see you are recurring your acquaintance with Sierra Leone. I can imagine that with your interaction + talent there are many more congenial spots you would have chosen – which your wife would prefer. Does the engaging native still talk the language the amusing sample of which you used to amuse us by giving: ‘I am in a bureau – s Secretary – To a Cabinet Minister’ – You will smile. Nasmith [that is Admiral Sir Martin Eric Dunbar-Nasmith VC, KCB, KCMG (1 April 1883 – 29 June 1965)] has just gone to command the College at Dartmouth [Britannia Royal Naval College Commander from 1926 – 1929] – a very good appt. + [?] the man for it. What a nipping time you gave Martin Nasmith + myself in Jerusalem. Kind regards to Mrs. Luke. Yours Frank Larken’.

[This item is part of the Sir Harry Luke – Archive / Collection]. Whitehall, On Whitehall Admiralty Stationery, 1926. Octavo. 2 pages (1 sheet with writing on both sides) and envelope. From the private collection / library of colonial governor, diplomat and historian, Sir Harry Luke.

6. [Sierra Leone Content] – [Luke, Sir Harry / Lukach, Harry] Russell, Sir Alison (Chief Justice of Tanganyika).

Manuscript letter signed (MLS) from Chief Justice of Tanganyika (1924-1929), Sir William Alison Russell to Sir Harry Luke on the occasion of Luke receiving the CMG. Russel, then stationed in Dar Es Salaam for the Colonial office send him a lengthy letter with very interesting detail: ‘Dear Luke, my wife and I am delighted to see an announcement…of this high honour bestowed on you….In these days an honour of that kind is indeed an honour. Have sent your book on Mosul to Sir D. Cameron [Sir Donald Charles Cameron, GCMG KBE (3 June 1872 – 8 January 1948)] ……I am going down the Congo, I hope + out at Matadi. Leaving Kigoma at the beginning of May – it takes about six weeks from Kigoma to Antwerp….I have never been to Haarlem. I am looking forward to sailing this summer. Only my friends picked up this ‘Winnie’ last summer in a pitch night ….+ she went to pieces. But I dare say I shall get another berth in a boat. I want to go ‘foreign’ – perhaps to Spain again. I wonder if there could be a chance of seeing you next summer in England. How goes it in Sierra Leone [?]…I thought your Mosul book very interesting + so fresh……Yours sincerely A. Russell.’

[This item is part of the Sir Harry Luke – Archive / Collection]. Dar Es Salaam, 24.2.1926. Octavo. 10 pages. with original envelope [Tanganyika 15 cents stamp]. From the private collection / library of colonial governor, diplomat and historian, Sir Harry Luke.

7. [Sierra Leone Content] – [Luke, Sir Harry / Lukach, Harry / Edward, Prince of Wales / Edward VIII].

Important Manuscript Letter Signed (MLS) / Autographed Letter Signed from Sir Harry Luke to his Father, Mother & Sister Lily during his second posting in Sierra Leone, this time as Colonial Secretary of Sierra Leone. Sir Harry describes at length the visit of the Prince of Wales (later Edward VIII) to the Colony in 1925: “My dear Father & Mother & Lily, To-day being Easter Monday I am spending in bed in an endeavour to recover from the fatigues of a trying but successful week. The Prince’s visit …..may be said to have been an unqualified success; & I hope you will look out for photos of it in the daily & weekly press”. Luke describes how he was sitting next to the Prince at lunch and later he had a ‘chance of telling him two stories which seemed to amuse him’. In his four-page-letter, Sir Harry continues: ‘I also talked to him at the Garden Party [the photograph of Sir Harry Luke next to the Prince of Wales at the Garden Party is a famous image of the Prince’s visit to Sierra Leone and the original is part of the collection]”. “He is very pleasant, but frightfully nervous & fidgety & leads an impossible life. After the very streanous profanities…..he insisted on playing Squash, despite the great heat, before the Dinner party, then after the ball went motoring to the beach with some of the more attractive of the Ladies, then went to some of their houses & danced & drank cold beer until 5 in the morning. When he went to bed for 2 hours. Apparently he seldom sleeps for more than that. At Dinner, when he was sitting between 2 very dark & matriarchical women (one of the Lady S.) he looked across at me with a smile & a wink. After he left I went for a day’s cruise in ‘HMS Endeavour’, the Survey Ship now working here, for a bit of rest…[..]”.

[This item is part of the Sir Harry Luke – Archive / Collection]. [Freetown] Sierra Leone, 1925. Octavo. 4 page letter (on two sheets). From the private collection / library of colonial governor, diplomat and historian, Sir Harry Luke.

8. [Sierra Leone Content] – [Luke, Harry Charles] Furse, Sir William.

Imperial Institute: Annual Report, 1926. [With Typed Letter, signed (TLS) by Sir William Furse to Sir Harry Luke]. By the Director Lt.-Gen. Sir William Furse, K.C.B., D.S.O., To the Board Of Governors (Meeting, 9th February, 1927).

[This item is part of the Sir Harry Luke – Archive / Collection]. London, Imperial Institute, 1927. 25 cm x 15 cm. II, 46 pages. Original Softcover. Harry Luke’s (Lukach) personal copy. Good condition with some minor signs of external wear.

9. [Sierra Leone Content] – Luke, Harry Charles / [Professor Edward Blyden III].

Collection of two publications and several letters: A Bibliography of Sierra Leone: Preceded By An Essay On The Origin, Character and Peoples of the Colony and Protectorate. [This publication comes with Luke’s personal copy of Sierra Leone Studies No.IX. – August 1927, in which Luke did not only write the Editorial Introduction but we also see included in this issue as an introduction to the section on “Street and Place Names in and around Freetown” (by Dr.R.H.Kennan), a reprinted letter of R.H.Kennan to Luke (page 9 of this issue). Luke notes on the cover of this issue the main reason why this pamphlet is in his private library: “including an account of our Mount Bintumane ascent” [Luke was part of the Mount Bintumane Expedition: “On the 18th August, 1926, Bintumane, the highest peak of the Lomas, the loftiest mountains in Sierra Leone, was climbed for the first time by an officer administering the Government of the Colony….on a fine misty morning we left our rest camp, situated beside a beautiful white-water face, itself more than 2,500 feet above sea level and, headed by the Acting Governor (Mr.Luke), commenced the Ascent [Sir Ransford Slater, Governor of Sierra Leone, made the ascent only the following year (1927)]. This wonderful collection of two publications also includes several loosely inserted Typescripts and Manuscript-letters between Sir Harry Luke and Professor Edward Blyden III as well as letters from Dr.P.E.H.Hair from Fourah Bay College, Freetwown, Sierra Leone / Also included a manuscript note from Luke, titled “Description of Photographs from Sierra Leone” in which Luke outlines in detail nine (9) illustrations [possibly for a later edition of the work] and mentions: “A Paramount Chief in Gala costume with wives, children and staff-bearer. The wives holding rattles used in the Dances of the Bundu (Women’s secret Society), Mende Tribe, Railway District, Sierra Leone / A Porro Devil on stilts (a Dancer of the Porro or Men’s secret society) etc. etc.]. With Illustrations And Map.

Second, Enlarged Edition. [This item is part of the Sir Harry Luke – Archive / Collection]. London, Oxford University Press, 1925. 19 cm x 13 cm. 230 pages, 4 illustrations. Original Hardcover. Harry Luke’s (Lukach) personal copy.

10. [Sierra Leone Content] – Luke, Harry Charles.

A Bibliography of Sierra Leone: Preceded By An Essay On The Origin, Character and Peoples of the Colony and Protectorate. With Illustrations And Map.

Reprint of the Second, Enlarged Edition from 1925. [This item is part of the Sir Harry Luke – Archive / Collection]. New York, Negro Universities Press, 1969. 22,5 cm x 15 cm. 230 pages, 4 illustrations. Original Hardcover. Harry Luke’s (Lukach) personal copy. Slightly bumped crown and top corners. Otherwise in very good condition.