121. [Cyprus Content] – [Luke, Sir Harry / Lukach, Harry] / Storrs, Sir Ronald Henry Amherst.

Typed Letter Signed / Monogrammed (TLS with manuscript corrections) from Sir Harry Luke to Sir Ronald Storrs. The two – page letter plus addenda was written by Luke in September 1927, during his posting as Colonial Secretary in Sierra Leone, and reached Storrs during his Governorship in Cyprus. Luke writes about [Mr.] St.Barbe Baker and two pamphlets [by Baker] he sent Storrs of which one is “full of a passionate idealism canalized into the planting of trees in dry countries”. Luke continues: “He is now in the Forestry Service in Nigeria….I imagine he would be the very man for countries such as Ubr and Palestine, which wage a constant and unequal campaign against drought and inadequate rainfall. If you were to think it worth while to place him in touch with yourself, he might conceivably be of value in the direction of organizing voluntary tree-planting in the Regno di Cipro. In the matter of the Handbook [of Cyprus] I enclose on a separate sheet a very few corrigenda and suggestions…..” [The Corrigenda on page three of the letter (Addenda) deals with corrections of Date of publications of e.g.: “Cyprus under the Turks” etc.].

[This item is part of the Sir Harry Luke – Archive / Collection]. [Sierra Leone], 13th September, 1927. Folio. 3 sheets. From the private collection / library of colonial governor, diplomat and historian, Sir Harry Luke.

122. [Cyprus Content] – Luke, Harry Charles / [Wilkins, Fraser – First Ambassador to Cyprus from the United States of America (USA) / Kennedy, John F. / JFK Assassination].

Manuscript (MLS) / Autographed letter (ALS) signed by Fraser Wilkins to Sir Harry Luke. The two-page-letter on mourning stationery of the “Embassy of the United States of America by Fraser Wilkins is a thank-you note to former british colonial officer, Sir Harry Luke, who had obviously sent condolences to the US-Embassy on Cyprus regarding the Assassination of JFK. Fraser Wilkins writes: “Dear Sir Harry – It was very thoughtful of you to write at this sad time. We had not realized that you were both in Kyrenia [Cyprus]. It is sad – not only for Mrs Kennedy & his family but also for our Country. There was so much more – as you indicate, which he might have done if he had not been cut down. Its maybe, as the ancient Greeks …said, that those whome the Gods love die young….Sincerely Fraser Wilkins”. Wilkins closes: “We hope to see you before too long!”

[This item is part of the Sir Harry Luke – Archive / Collection]. Cyprus, December 2, 1963. Octavo. 2 pages. Very good condition with minor annoation on the letter in red ink by Sir Harry Luke, identifying Fraser Wilkins as “Ist US Ambassador to Cyprus”.

123. [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.

124. [Palestine Content] – [Luke, Harry / Lukach, Harry Charles].

Vintage Photographic Plate of Sir Harry Luke together with his wife and an aide, either taken during his tenure as acting Commissioner of Famagusta (Cyprus) or as High Commissioner to the Government of Palestine. Includes a vintage print of the photograph with Luke cut out.

[This item is part of the Sir Harry Luke – Archive / Collection]. Famagusta (Cyprus) or Jerusalem (Palestine), c. 1918 – 1924. Octavo. From the private collection / library of colonial governor, diplomat and historian, Sir Harry Luke.

125. [Private Materials Sir Harry Luke] – [Luke, Sir Harry / Lukach, Harry].

Collection with an abundance (more than 30 items) of PERSONAL ephemera of Sir Harry Luke. Calling cards with recommendations, Luke’s passport photograph (with Negative), Seat Reservation Card for Sir Harry on a British Overseas Airways Flight (BOAC) / BEA (British European Airways) / etc. etc. etc.

[This item is part of the Sir Harry Luke – Archive / Collection]. London a.o., Octavo. From the private collection / library of colonial governor, diplomat and historian, Sir Harry Luke.

126. [Malta Content] – [Luke, Sir Harry / Lukach, Harry].

Collection of receipts and documents connecting Sir Harry Luke and Malta.

[This item is part of the Sir Harry Luke – Archive / Collection]. Malta. Octavo. 5 items. From the private collection / library of colonial governor, diplomat and historian, Sir Harry Luke.

127. [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.

128. [Malta Content] – Luke, Harry [then Lieut. Gov. of Malta] / Rear Admiral, Sir Arthur Bromley / George V. / Princess Elizabeth & The Duke of Edinburgh.

Autographed Letter, signed (ALS) by Rear Admiral, Sir Arthur Bromley & Lord Chamberlain Inviation, alerting Luke “Dear Mr.Luke – The Secretary of State who is acting for the Secretary of State for the Colonies during his absence in Canada would like to present you and Mrs. Luke to their Majesties the King and Queen after tea at the Royal Garden Party at Buckingham Palace on the 21st. If you intend to be present at the Garden Party will you please meet me at the north side of the Royal Tea Tent on 5 o’clock on that afternoon ?……Yours very truly A[rthur] Bromley – Rear-Admiral. Ceremonial Secretary, 14th July, 1932. / The letter was sent on July 8th, 1932, in an official envelope of the Lord Chamberlain to Luke c/o Colonial Office in Downing Street but was redirected to St.James’ Club and accompanied by an official Invitation – Card “The Lord Chamberlain is commanded by Their Majesties to invite Mr. & Mrs. H.C.Luke…..”.

[This item is part of the Sir Harry Luke – Archive / Collection]. [Oxford], c.1943. Small Octavo. 1 Letter (ALS) and 2 Royal Invitation-Cards in Lord Chamberlain-Envelope. From Sir Harry Luke’s personal library. Luke added to this envelope an additional Royal Invitation-Card which was addressed to Luke in later life, by the Lord Chamberlain in July 1949 after the Lord Chamberlain was “commanded by Their Majesties [then Princess Elizabeth and her husband, Philip, Duke of Edinburgh] to invite ‘Sir Harry Luke’ to an Afternoon Party in the Garden of Buckingham Palace on Thursday 7th July, 1949, from 4 to 6 o’clock (Weather Permitting)”.

129. [Pacific Content] – Luke, Sir Harry / [Queen Salote of Tonga].

Original, very large ceremonial Tapa (″ngatu”), awarded to Sir Harry Luke directly by Queen Salote when he visited Tonga at the beginning of December 1938 during his time as Governor of Fiji and High Commissioner in the Western Pacific. – With a Prayer painted on the tapa, invoking Gods protection for the island of Tugua: “Koe Lube OSA Bua I He Lagi I Tugua”.

[This item is part of the Sir Harry Luke – Archive / Collection]. [Tonga / Tugua], c.1938. From Sir Harry Luke’s personal Library & Collection.

130. [Cyprus Content] – [Luke, Sir Harry] / Lieut.-Colonel A. C. Tompkins / Sir Malcolm Stevenson [Governor of Cyprus] / William George Arthur Ormsby-Gore / [Leo] L.S. Amery / etc.

Manuscript / Autographed Letter Signed (MLS / ALS), marked as “Private / Personal”, from Lieut.-Colonel A. C. Tompkins to Harry Luke while Luke was Colonial Secretary of Sierra Leone. Lieut.-Colonel A. C. Tompkins writes in this embittered letter to Luke “I am very very grateful indeed for all you have done & your sympathy on my case….It is more than kind of you to write again to Sir Ronald Storrs in Cyprus…For he seems to be a honored minded & certainly most sympathetic man. What good he has already done in the old Island & I sincerely hope he will get the reward indeed he deserves….I am waiting and waiting for Justice…..so there is nothing for me but to express at all costs to me personally the ways & intrigues of the Cyprus department at the Colonial Office & the cowardly malice….of Cyprus Official (Governor to Staff of Secretary) 1920 to 1923 …..2 men are dead..[Fenn ?] & last week General Sir H[arold] Ruggles – Brise of the Officers Association but I hold the personal letters of the former & the Committees letters of the latter which proofs deliberate antagonisation to my ever getting employment. For what reason ? “Gore [that is William George Arthur Ormsby-Gore, 4th Baron Harlech] & Stevenson [that is Sir Malcolm Stevenson] Ellis & ?” only Rumours [?]. This cruel treatment has ruined me + broken my home but I am not going under the ground without a Fight & by that I mean a real Fight & exposure. Amery [Leo / L.S.Amery [colonial secretary to Stevenson [governor, Cyprus] & Ormsby – Gore are infallible & they’re being grossly deceived by their permanent Staff….”.

[This item is part of the Sir Harry Luke – Archive / Collection]. London, June 27, 1927. 4 pages on one A4 folded sheet. From Sir Harry Luke’s personal library.