1. [Cyprus Content] – [Luke, Sir Harry] / Pursuit of Cyprus Posting by Harry Luke / Earl Curzon of Kedleston / Foreign Office / Admiral Sir John de Robeck /.

Significant, eight-page (8) Manuscript Letter Signed (MLS) from J.H.Luke to his son, Harry Luke, while Harry was posted with Admiral Sir John de Robeck in the Mediterranean. The letter also includes two important copies of typescripts, sent to Harry Luke’s father, J.H.Luke (at the St.James’ Club, Piccadilly) from the Foreign Office (directed by Earl Curzon of Kedleston). In urgent Telegrams, Luke had asked his father to help him “to ascertain from Colonial Office if my application for Chief Secretaryship, Cyprus, is likely to be successful and telegraph reply care of High Commissioner, Constantinople, as have meanwhile received offer of Assistant Governorship, Jerusalem, to which I must reply. Would prefer Cyprus”. In a second Telegram that day (28th of July, 1920), Luke writes again to hs father: “Please ask McMahon approach Amery as to succession Stevenson”. The lengthy letter of Luke senior is of great importance because it shows the ever recurring actions of Luke’s father regarding the career-progression of Sir Harry. From other correspondence we know that Luke senior takes a huge interest in his son being promoted to a significant position. From the letter we learn about Harry Luke’s chances to get the Cyprus-Position he so very much desires and about his excellent reputation at the Colonial Office. His father also writes to Harry: “How very kind of the Admiral [de Robeck] to send you to Cyprus in a Destroyer & dispatching that nice cable to Storrs” / An additional two typescrits are dealing with Luke’s publication “Handbook of Cyprus”: Daniel MacMillan had written to the father of Luke and asked for permission to “take down the type”, “Our present stock is 370 copies”.

[This item is part of the Sir Harry Luke – Archive / Collection]. London, 28th of July, 1920 – 4th of August, 2024. Octavo-Bifold. 8 pages of manuscript letter, 4 pages of typescripts. From Sir Harry Luke’s personal library.

2. [Cyprus Content] – [Luke, Sir Harry] / Lieut.-Colonel A. C. Tompkins.

Manuscript Letter Signed (MLS) / Autographed Letter Signed (ALS) from Lieut.-Colonel A. C. Tompkins who congratulates Luke for his new posting in Malta and refers to the positive outcome for Luke from the Palestine Commission (regarding the Wailing-Wall-Incident from 1928): “My dear Luke, Hearty congratulations on what I read in The Evening Standard this evening. I heartily hope you will indeed get the reward & promotion you deserve. You must have had a interesting time, then & since, but you have come out as I knew you would “on top” …” Tompkins then goes on to talk again about his case of destitution at the end of his colonial career (see also Harry Luke item 31711AB): “I only wish in my small way, that I could get some justice + compensation either “in kind”, or in employment after 6 long years of struggling + patience but with the desperate sharks now, my patience is exhausted + I shall let go ‘la dernière Cartouche’ + if I can get a paper to accept it will expose the whole persecution + unsults I had to submit to under the “Stevenson-Fenn [John Cyril Douglas Fenn]” + “Clique’s” regime in Cyprus…..[….] – Yours sincerely, A.C.Tompkins”.

[This item is part of the Sir Harry Luke – Archive / Collection]. London, Thursday, 12/VI/1930. Octavo. 3 pages on Octavo Bifold. From Sir Harry Luke’s personal library.

3. [Education of Sir Harry Luke] – [Luke, Sir Harry] Lukach, Harry Charles / [Claude Delaval Cobham (British Colonial Official in Cyprus (Larnaca)] / [Guy le Strange (British Orientalist).

Manuscript letter by british colonial officer Claude Delaval Cobham to Harry Lukach, [later Sir Harry Luke] in which Cobham reflects on a manuscript Luke had sent him for analysis: “My dear Lukach, I return the Ms. I lent it to Guy le Strange who showed it to Ellis [possibly Sir Ellis Hovell Minns], of the B.M. [British Museum] [who are] both skilled analysts”. Cobham continues about the manuscript: “It is a kind of Hagiology, but written by a Druze – hence the [?] of the mad Khalife Hakim bin amr allah as a Saint, and spells Salih, which is a Druze Mack. There are similar Mss. in the B.M. library but Ellis [?] not a Druze one – but they are of no great interest or Value. The writing is neat and very legible….I hope you are well and enjoying yourself. I start, I think, on Thursday for Coblenz and S. Blasien [that is St. Blasien], returning at the very end of August. Yours very truly – C. Delaval Cobham”.

S. James, July 27 (no year but c.1906). Small Octavo. 2 pages filled on one bifolium / Plus Letter from British Museum to Harry Charles Lukach regarding Admission to the Reading Room (19th of July 1906). Excellent letter by British Colonial official in Cyprus, Claude Delaval Cobham. Important letter which states the early influence of Luke in his love for Cyprus because by the time this letter was written and Luke had a relationship with this important scholar, Cobham had already written the important “Excerpta Cypria”. The ALS by Cobham came with a letter by the Director of the British Museum to H.C.Lukach regarding admission to the Reading Room of the B.M.

4. [The Tenth Muse] – Luke, Harry Charles [Colonial Cookery Book Manuscript Notebook].

Manuscript Notebook, Working – copy and printed version of “The Tenth Muse: An unconventional cookery book of recipes from many lands”. [Including Sir Harry Luke’s Manuscript Notebook in which he collected on 96 pages and loosely inserted letters/notes some of his recipes when he was travelling. The notebook comes also with his personal working-copy of the printed book, with sources for recipes / letters / heavily annotated by Luke. The recipe-notebook, written in the 1930s, includes several pages with historical recipes of Food prepared in Cyprus, with special recipes of “Kyrenia Salad”, “Apricot Brandy (Cyprus)”, “Kyrenia Tomato Paste”, Kyrenia Salad”]. Collected and compiled, with an introductory chapter by Sir Harry Luke. With the collaboration of Elizabeth Godfrey.

[This item is part of the Sir Harry Luke – Archive / Collection]. London, Putnam, c.1930-1954. 22 cm x 14,5 cm. The Manuscript Notebook includes 96 pages with letters, notes and sclippings included / The working copy with letters and clippings and annotations: 240 pages. Original Hardcover. Harry Luke’s (Lukach) personal copy. With annotations and markings by Harry Luke.

5. [Private Materials Sir Harry Luke] – [Luke, Sir Harry / Lukach, Harry] Storrs, Sir Ronald Henry Amherst.

Manuscript Letter Signed (MLS) from Sir Ronald Henry Amherst Storrs during his tenure as Governor of Cyprus to Sir Harry Luke condoling on the death of Luke’s father: ‘Only a word of v. true condolence on your heavy bereavement. Your father was always most kind [?] + helpful to me & I do realize from personal experience how sharp a blow & shock you are under. R S.’ The letter itself does not reference Cyprus but was clearly written during Storrs’ time as Governor of Cyprus.

[This item is part of the Sir Harry Luke – Archive / Collection]. London, 2nd of July 1930. Folio. 1 page with official envelope. From the private collection / library of colonial governor, diplomat and historian, Sir Harry Luke.

6. [Private Materials Sir Harry Luke] – [Luke, Harry Sir / Lukach, Harry]. Luke, Peter / Luke, Michael.

Important typescript mentioning Cyprus, with manuscript annotations by Sir Harry Luke – the typescript is a copy of a letter which Sir Harry Luke wrote to his son Michael Luke on December 1st, 1963 from his residence in 96 Hellas Street, Kyrenia and Luke informs his son of Harrap (Publisher) urging him on to publish a revised edition of his Cyprus book. Luke writes: “The day before i left Harraps asked me if I would be willing to do a revised edition of my Cyprus book. I did not even know that the stock was down to its last few copies. I naturally said yes, and that is what i am working on now. It is involving, in fact, quite a bit of thought and work because I will have to trace the painful transition from British Crown Colony, which Cyprus was then, to Independent republic.” – Luke also reflects on the recent assassination of JFK: “The Dallas outrage is indeed a world tragedy. Not only is it the case that the world’s most valuable life of the moment has been taken; we have all lost something young, buoyant and infinitely engaging”.

[This item is part of the Sir Harry Luke – Archive / Collection]. London, 1964. Octavo. Thirteen (13) letters and one Telegram and one photograph in total: 6 Letters from Peter Luke to his father, Sir Harry Luke / 2 manuscript draft – letters from Harry Luke / 2 annotated typescripts by Sir Harry Luke / 1 Letter from Michael Luke to his father, Sir Harry Luke / 1 Letter from Lloyds Bank to Sir Harry Luke / 1 Letter from June Luke (Peter Luke’s wife) in which June refers to the tragedy Cyprus is experiencing during the intercommunal violence between the Greek Cypriots and the Turkish Cypriots on “Bloody Christmas”. June Luke is feeling with Sir Harry Luke “…i hear you have been through so many rebellions and revolutions that this will seem nothing ! – But all the same it must be very depressing for you to witness such turmoil in a country that you love so well”. From the private collection / library of colonial governor, diplomat and historian, Sir Harry Luke.

7. [Autobiography Cities and Men] – Luke, Sir Harry [Luke, Harry Charles].

Cities And Men: An Autobiography [Working copy of Sir Harry Luke with original letters and notes included / With manuscript annotations in the chapter on Cyprus “The Enchanted Island”]. Volume I and II in one.

[This item is part of the Sir Harry Luke – Archive / Collection]. London, Geoffrey Bles, 1953. 22 cm x 14,5 cm. Volume I: 245 pages / Volume II: 256 pages. Original Hardcover. Sir Harry Luke’s (Lukach) personal copy. With annotations and markings by Harry Luke. Some rubbing to spine, bumping to boards. Otherwise in good condition.

8. [Malta Content] – [Luke, Sir Harry] / [Archbishop of Rhodes (Sir Mauro Monsignor Caruana)] / Bishop of Gozo (Mikiel Monsignor Gonzi)] / [Lord Strickland, 4th Prime Minister of Malta].

Manuscript Letters Signed (MLS) / Autograph Letters Signed (ALS) on Stationery of the Lieutenant Governor of Malta, from Sir Harry Luke to his mother during the month of June, 1932. The two multi-page letters (from the 6th and 13th of June, 1932) deal with private matters but also have significant content about the famous conflict between the two local, Maltese Bishops [1. Archbishop of Rhodes (Sir Mauro Monsignor Caruana) / 2. Bishop of Gozo (Mikiel Monsignor Gonzi)] and Lord Strickland, 4th Prime Minister of Malta. Luke writes in the letter from June 6th, 1932: “There have been a succession of political changes here these last 2 weeks, keeping me very busy. The Bishops here first refused to accept an apology from Lord Strickland, then agreed to accept it, so the Elections, which were nearly again suspended, will after all be held, next week & after which the new Ministry will be formed and, if all goes well, I should with luck be able to get away about end of June & go with the first instance to England, coming out to you (I hope with Peter) about first week in August…..Things politically seem in a pretty awful mess everywhere. I hope this depressing crisis will soon pass off. Ronald Storrs, whose time in Cyprus is up in hours, has been made Governor of Northern Rhodesia (Central Africa) which I fear he won’t like very much, & he is being succeeded by a very senior man, Sr R[eginald Edward] Stubbs, the present Governor of Jamaica, who is one of the most senior of the Governors. I should have had [?] Cyprus, of course, but would rather be here than go to some remote & awful African hole.”

[This item is part of the Sir Harry Luke – Archive / Collection]. Malta, 6 June, 1932 & 13 th June, 1932. Quarto. Two Letters, each four pages on two sheets. From the personal library of Sir Harry Luke, letters to his mother which he inherited after her death.

9. [Malta / Cyprus Content] – Luke, Sir Harry.

Manuscript Notepad for a “Rambling Talk / Lecture on Malta / Cyprus / Corfu / Greece / Rhodes to Prof. Powicke’s mediaeval Students from Oxford 1943” [possibly Merton College in 1943]. On six pages of a loosely stapled collection of papers, Luke notes down important bullet points of a talk he is giving to the students of Sir Frederick Maurice Powicke, Oxford’s famous Mediaeval Historian. Each page is devoted to some of Luke’s postings. Especially Cyprus and Malta are touched on regularly and the pages filled with many details. Other locations he talks about were Corfu and Rhodes. The introductory page mentions for example “…in Malta, where I was L-G. for 8 years, such divergent persons as Publius & Sam. Taylor Coleridge”, Luke also mentions Pontius Pilate, Othello, S.Paul in Malta, etc. etc.

[This item is part of the Sir Harry Luke – Archive / Collection]. [Oxford], c.1943. Small Octavo. 6 pages. Rusty staple. Harry Luke’s (Lukach) personal manuscript pages.

10. [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.