1. [Education of Sir Harry Luke] – [Lukach, Harry Charles / Sir Harry Luke].

Early childhood letters by Harry Charles Lukach, later Sir Harry Luke.

[This item is part of the Sir Harry Luke – Archive / Collection]. Heiligenkreuz (bei Baden), 1893. Quarto / Octavo. Two childhood letters to Luke’s Mother. From Sir Harry Luke’s personal Library.

2. [Education of Sir Harry Luke] – [Lukach, Harry Charles / Sir Harry Luke] / [Michael Furse, Dean of Trinity].

Manuscript Letter Signed (MLS) / Autographed Letter Signed (ALS) from Harry Luke to his father. The letter, on stationery of Corpus Christi College, Oxford, was surely written after / during Orientation week in 1903 when Luke started his Education at Trinity Collee, Oxford. Luke reports to his father: “I am having a capital time up here. It is quite delightful. I was met at the station by one of the fellows I was in Italy with, who escorted me to my lodgings, which are most Excellent. Then went to tea with another fellow, or rather ‘Man’ at Worcester Coll. & had Dinner at Trinity Hall. On Tuesday I had breakfast with Arthur at Balliol & lunched with Furse [that was Michael Furse], the Dean of Trinity. In fact I am having a fine time. The papers are very hard indeed, harder than I Expected. I will show them to you when I come down. We have two papers every day, from 9:30 to 12:30, & from 2-5…..arriving at Paddington at 12.15. I propose to sleep that night at Down St. to go down to Ascot the next day & from Ascot on to Eton. I have met several old Etonians up here, amongst others Cassaretti, who is at Trinity….I hope you are well. How is the Electrocuting getting on ? Much love & au revoir till Friday – Your loving son Harry” – “P.S. That pig Paul got a Scholarship at New College”.

[This item is part of the Sir Harry Luke – Archive / Collection]. Oxford, Corpus Christi College, [1903]. Small Octavo. 4 pages on A5 fold. From Sir Harry Luke’s personal Library.

3. [Education of Sir Harry Luke] – [Lukach, Harry Charles / Sir Harry Luke] Luke, J.H. / William [Vilmos] de Ormody.

Manuscript letter signed (MLS) from J.H.Luke on Westinghouse Stationery, to his son Harry Charles Lukach (later Sir Harry Luke): “My dear Harry, Just a hurried line to say that I agree your remaining in Austria Hungary until the arrival of Grandfather….You say nothing about the [?] book – I hope you are putting your best effort into this your first literary work. Am terribly busy & off to Bussa [Nigeria] tomorrow [Westinghouse had business in Nigeria]. Love to all – Your affectionate Father J.H.L.”

[This item is part of the Sir Harry Luke – Archive / Collection]. Paris, Societe Anonyme Westinghouse, 1907. Octavo. Two – page letter with original envelope, addressed to “H.C.Lukach Esq. c/o Wm [William] de Ormody Esq. – Redoutenplatz [later Vigadó Square] – Budapest, Hungary”. From Sir Harry Luke’s personal Library.

4. [Education of Sir Harry Luke] – [Lukach, Harry Charles / Sir Harry Luke] Luke, J.H. / R.M.S.Teutonic.

Two Manuscript Letters (MLS / ALS), signed and sent from J.H.Luke on Board a Cross-Atlantic Trip from Liverpool to New York via Queenstown [Cobh in Ireland] on Stationery of R.M.S.Teutonic, to his then nine-year-old son Harry Charles Lukach (later Sir Harry Luke). Letter One – “Queenstown, April 20th 93 [1893]”: “My dear Harry, Mama writes me that you are a good boy and this gives me great pleasure for now that I am away you are the only man in the house and although but a little one – it is your duty to look after Mamaas much as you can and see that she is happy and not troubled or worried – Be very attentive and obedient – I will be glad to hear you are acting as I bid you to. You would be surprised to see this enormous magnificent fine ship. I fancy she carries over 3000 people. Namely 300 first class passengers – 500 second class passengers – 1500 steerage passengers – 1000 sailors, stewards, Officers are 3300 in all. – It is quite a little world afloat – I send you a list of passengers & also a menu so you see we are not starving – altho’ out on the wide ocean. Poor Robinson Crusoe would have been content with one of the many dishes & had to put up with less comfort. Tell little Baby that Daddy send his love to her. Remember me to Mama. I hope you are getting on nicely at school – Your loving father J.H.Lukach” / Letter Two – “off New York – April 26th 93 [1893]”: My dear Harry, In 4 or 5 hours we will run into New York harbour and probably be landed this afternoon at 5 o’clock. Yesterday being the last evening on Bard we had a concert of which I enclose the programm. The Earl of Aberdeen – the future Governor of Canada – made a very interesting speech in which he alluded to the comic remark on the programm “carriages at 9.45” by saying that he trusts everybody had also ordered their “seahorses”. Over £ 60 – were collected for the poor orphans & the very jolly evening ended by singing God save the Queen & Hail Columbia. I am sure you will be glad to hear that the journey was conducted by being good for the poor little children who are suffering starvation. – We have seen no ships all the way but today its getting livelier for we have passed several small vessels. Tomorrow is holiday in America because of the great naval review that takes place in New York harbour and which I will go to see. I am sending you my chart showing the number of miles we ran each day which you must save. I hope you are a good boy & very obedient to your Mama – whom you are trying hard to please & make happy. I am very impatient to learn from home how dear Mama you & Baby are – with love – Your father J H Lukach – Remember me to Mama”.

[This item is part of the Sir Harry Luke – Archive / Collection]. Queenstown [Cobh / Ireland] / New York / R.M.S.Teutonic, 1893. Octavo. Two manuscript letters (8 pages). From Sir Harry Luke’s personal Library.

5. Luke, Sir Harry [Lukach, Harry] – ‘the most unwasted life of any man I have known’ – (Sir Ronald Storrs on Sir Harry Luke)

Very Large Archive / Collection of British Colonial Official & Lieutenant-Governor of Malta, Sir Harry Luke. The Archive is Sir Harry Luke’s very personal and one might say, confidential collection of original autographed letters, correspondence and books he surrounded himself with at the end of his life. The Archive includes important and meaningful personal and official letters as well as working-copies of books which Luke wrote himself at every location he was posted to during his career. In order to understand the vastness of the Archive you need to visit our website and see the nineteen (19) chapters of Material we synchronised chronologically with Sir Harry Luke’s life [Search for “Library & Collections” and find 19 chapters at the bottom of that page]. The Archive contains an unbelievable and impressive array of several highly interesting letters and correspondence regarding key historical events as disparate as the Mudros/Gallipoli-Campaign under Rosslyn Wemyss, the Jaffa Riots, the Western Wall Riots of Jerusalem in 1929 as well as information on diplomatic activity prior to the Suez Crisis, descriptions of locations like Guadalcanal prior to the War in the Pacific, detailed information on personell at Gardner Island / Phoenix Islands during the vanishing of Amelia Earhart, to only name a few bizarre coincidences. The books contain manuscript annotations and preparatory notes for later editions as well as many letters written to Luke regarding the many postings he served at during his long career in the Colonial Service. The Archive includes several hundred pages of correspondence between Luke and other officials within the Colonial Office, often in multi-page letters. Also included is proof of Luke’s connections to the Ecclesiastical World of the Vatican and Lambeth Palace, his diplomatic abilities are praised in letters from friends and officials alike. Luke received cordial letters from Queens (Queen Salote) as well as polarizing letters from Politicians. Included are manuscript notepads as well as confidential reports from other diplomats on locations where Luke was soon to be taking office, e.g. British Western Pacific Islands. The Archive is unique in its form because it represents not only the correspondence between Luke as an official but also allows us a view into the life of a Career Diplomat of the last days of the Colonial British Empire who develops a deep connection with everyone he served with and under. Luke did not only keep correspondence with famous friends like Ronald Storrs but also emotional letters from those who served under him and respectfully stay in touch beyond the termination of Luke’s service. Many letters to family colleagues in the Colonial Office, Politicians, Priests with political functions, are preserved with Luke’s original typescript-answer or initial letter. The official and often explosive and historically meaningful content with striking relevance for reinterpreting Mediterranean, Middle Eastern Conflicts etc. makes this archive a must for research and posterity. This is not just any diplomat’s archive. The majority of these letters are unpublished but are waiting to be discovered (see for example the long letter by Sir Kenneth Roberts-Wray on the Palestine Commission. Also included his Luke’s very valuable, handwritten manuscript-notebook of colonial postings-recipe-collections together with his working copy of the very special cookery book “The Tenth Muse”. The recipe-book, 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”, or in Malta: “Deviled Chicken Livers (from wife of some Colonel [Dodo Stone] in Malta) or a recipe for Paté “From Soeur Marie Pierre, a nun from the Vendée in Rotuma [Rotuma Island – a dependency of Fiji]. The majority of the collection is now catalogued and visible on our website. A collection of c. 89 letters and 43 items of Ephemera has not been catalogued yet.

England / Palestine / Israel / Malta / Cyprus, Fiji / Sierra Leone etc., 1898 – 1968. Octavo / Quarto / Folio. c.15000 pages (books) / Collection of hundreds of Letters (see images) / Photographs and ephemera etc. Original Hardcover / Softover – Bindings (also private interim-bindings), often with the rare dustjackets in protective collector’s Mylar, some without dustjackets. Very good condition with only minor signs of external wear. Please check our website under “Libraries & Collections” and see detailed listings of books and letters, all categorized.

6. [Miscellaneous] – Luke, Sir Harry.

Akbar Exhibition – Part I: The Emperor Akbar – Written in Connexion with the Showing of the Akbar Exhibition in Trinidad by Sir Harry Luke / Part II: Catalogue.

[This item is part of the Sir Harry Luke – Archive / Collection]. Trinidad, June, 1944. Octavo. 15 pages. Stapled. From the personal collection of Sir Harry Luke.

7. [Pacific Content] – Luke, Harry Charles.

British Pacific Islands. (Notes For Lantern Slides / Colonial Empire Marketing Board Collection) / With a manuscript sheet regarding a Lecture on March 12th, 1952 in which Luke wanted to talk about Guadalcanal etc.

[This item is part of the Sir Harry Luke – Archive / Collection]. London, Imperial Institute, c.1943. 24 cm x 11,5 cm. 13 pages. Original Softcover. Harry Luke’s (Lukach) personal copy. Slight wrinkling to covers, a brown spot to front cover. Otherwise in good condition.

8. [Pacific Content] – Luke, Harry Charles.

[Luke Pamphlets and Essays] Extremely interesting Sammelband with 18 items of which are: twelve (12) pamphlets [Omnibus-Letters] on the British Pacific Colonies including very rare, printed (!) personal and confidential situation-reports from Fiji (with at least one manuscript-annotation by Luke), together with five (5) essays and news paper-articles by Luke, hidden in a pocket to the rear of the Volume / Also loosely included one (1) pamphlet on Malta / Cyprus: “Discrittione delle cose di Cipro, con le ragioni in favore, o contra diverse openioni, et delle provisioni, che erano necessarie per quel Regno”. – See detailed list and some confidental content mentioned below.

[This item is part of the Sir Harry Luke – Archive / Collection]. Fiji / Malta, Government Printing Office etc., 1932 – 1943. 26 cm x 17,5 cm Original Softcover pamphlets bound in red cloth. Harry Luke’s (Lukach) personal copy. Very good condition.

9. [Pacific Content] – Luke, Harry Charles.

The British Pacific Islands. [Sir Harry Luke’s personal working copy (and titled by him as such on the front cover) with a cutout on page 5/6 and some longer annotation on page 24 regarding Pitcairn Island as well as more annotations at the end of the pamphlet].

[This item is part of the Sir Harry Luke – Archive / Collection]. London, Oxford University Press, 1943. 18 cm x 12 cm. 31 pages with maps printed on the front pastedown (″The Western Pcific Islands”) and the rear pastedown (″The Pacific Ocean”). Original Softcover. Harry Luke’s (Lukach) personal Working copy. With annotations and markings by Harry Luke. Some rubbing to covers. Otherwise in good condition. [Oxford Pamphlets On World Affairs, No. 64.].

10. [Pacific Content] – [Luke, Harry Charles].

[Typescript of Sir Harry Luke’s visit to Noumea in the “Viti” after the fall of France, in August, 1940. [in: The American Mercury / Digest Of World Reading – with several interesting articles, also including an article describing the impression Sir Harry Luke made in the West Pcific in his duty for the British Empire].

[This item is part of the Sir Harry Luke – Archive / Collection]. New York, The American Mercury Inc., c. 1941. 20 cm x 14,5 cm. c. 245 pages. Original Hardcover. Harry Luke’s (Lukach) personal copy. With annotations and markings by Harry Luke. Some spotting on boards, bumping to corners. Otherwise in good condition.

11. [Pacific Content] – Luke, Harry Charles / Queen of Tonga [Salote Tupou III (born Salote Mafile‘o Pilolevu)]

Islands Of The South Pacific. [With ten (10) letters loosely inserted among which is a wonderful, signed letter to Sir Harry Luke, by the Queen of Tonga, Salote Tupou / (Also included are four (4) items of Ephemera)]. With the printed dedication: “To Leander McCormick-Goodhart – Who knows some of these Islands – Pignus amicitiae per annos LXIII”.

[This item is part of the Sir Harry Luke – Archive / Collection]. London / Toronto / Sydney, etc., George G. Harrap & Co. Ltd., 1962. 21,5 cm x 15 cm. 285 pages, 61 illustrations (Many Photographs and some Woodcuts from Robert Gibbings). Original Hardcover with original dustjacket in protective Mylar. Harry Luke’s (Lukach) personal copy. With one annotation by Harry Luke. Some tearing to dustjacket, tanning to spine. Otherwise in good condition. See below a full list of manuscript letters and typed letters which were loosely inserted by Sir Harry Luke in this personal copy of his book on the “Islands of the South Pacific”.

12. [Pacific Content] – [Luke, Harry Charles] From Ahmadiyya Anjuman Isha-at Islam, Fiji.

His Excellency, Sir Harry Charles Luke, Kt. C.M.G., Governor and Commander-in-Chief, Fiji. From Ahmadiyya Anjuman Isha-at Islam, Fiji.

[This item is part of the Sir Harry Luke – Archive / Collection]. Suva, Ahmadiyya Anjuman Isha-at Islam, Fiji, 22nd September, 1938. 33 cm x 26,5 cm. [5] pages. Original, illustrated Hardcover. Harry Luke’s (Lukach) personal copy. Very good condition with some signs of external wear.

13. [Pacific Content] – [Luke, Harry Charles] From Sanatan Dharam Rishikul Maha Sabha of Fiji.

Welcome Address To His Excellency The Governor, Sir Harry Charles Luke C.M.G., Governor of Fiji. From Sanatan Dharam Rishikul Maha Sabha of Fiji.

[This item is part of the Sir Harry Luke – Archive / Collection]. Suva, Sanatan Dharam Rishikul Maha Sabha of Fiji, 22nd September, 1938. 39 cm x 25,5 cm. [1] page. Original, illustrated Hardcover. Harry Luke’s (Lukach) personal copy. Very good condition with some signs of external wear.

14. [Pacific Content] – [Luke, Harry Charles] From The Sikh Community of Fiji.

Welcome Address To His Excellency, Sir Harry Charles Luke C.M.G., Governor in and over the Colony of Fiji, and High Commissioner for the Western Pacific. From The Sikh Community of Fiji.

[This item is part of the Sir Harry Luke – Archive / Collection]. Suva, The Sikh Community of Fiji, 16th September, 1938. 40 cm x 27 cm. [1] page. Original, illustrated Hardcover. Harry Luke’s (Lukach) personal copy. Very good condition with some signs of external wear.

15. [Pacific Content] – [Luke, Harry Charles] Members of Legislative Council of Fiji.

To His Excellency Sir Harry Charles Luke, Knight, C.M.G. Governor in and over the Colony of Fiji and High Commissioner for the Western Pacific. [Calligraphed Welcome-Certificate for Sir Harry Luke at his inauguration of Governor of Fiji, at the even of British Colonialism, in 1938].

[This item is part of the Sir Harry Luke – Archive / Collection]. Suva, Members of Legislative Council of Fiji, 16th September, 1938. 39 cm x 31,5 cm. [3] illustrated pages. Original Hardcover. Harry Luke’s (Lukach) personal copy. Very good condition with some signs of external wear.

16. [Pacific Content] – [Luke, Harry Sir / Lukach, Harry] Arthur Richards, 1st Baron Milverton.

Eight – page – Manuscript letter (MLS) to Sir Harry together with a 27-page manuscript-evaluation of local personnell at Government House (Fiji) as well as local politicians and possible agitators in Fiji and the British Western Pacific Territories from Arthur Richards, 1st Baron Milverton, in his capacity as Governor of Fiji and High Commissioner of the British Western Pacific Territories. This letter and the manuscript evaluations were sent by Richards on July 10th, 1938, on Stationery from Government House (Fiji) in order to inform Luke of the special situation of the posting before Sir Harry would take over the post (from 1938 – 1942). Very intriguing insights into colonial portraiture of possible troublemakers in the colonial service, excellent service men, clerks, and also recommendations for promotions etc. Arthur Richards evaluation of Sir Alport Barker, owner of ‘The Fiji Times & Herald’ is exemplary for the opinionated report to Sir Harry and one of the remarkable reports on ‘European Members of the Legislative Council on Fiji and the British Western Pacific Territories: ‘Aplort Barker – Has been an elected member for about twelve years, ex-mayor of Suva, owns the Fiji Times = Herald – Member of Executive Council / Has a small-minded, narrow outlook partly the result of physical disability. Lame from early days owing to infantile paralysis. Very anxious to get a knighthood. He has an intimate knowledge of local affairs and is often useful. He could be more useful if he were not so petty and spiteful.Very sensitive of slights, real on imaginary. / Apolosi [that was Apolosi Nawai] – Arthur Richards describes him as follows: ‘Apolosi – A man of the people. Fijian agitator & leader. The John the Baptist of a possible future. An ignorant misguided man with a great natural flair for speaking. Can sway words + is to some extent feared by the Chiefs because of his influence. The papers on him are worth reading. He is at present banished to Rotuma but the term expires at the end of 1939, when despite filaria + increasing age (he is well over 50) he will be a man to be watched. / Arthur Richards goes on to report on the ‘Council of Chiefs (Fiji)’’ where matters of interest to the Fijian people are discussed, resolutions are passed and answers are given’ – He informs Sir Harry that ‘The Council has been postponed until Oct. 18th [1938] to enable you to preside. The position of Governor carries immense prestige with the Fijians’. Richards also informs Luke that ‘no ladies, except the Governor’s wife should be present at the opeimus’. In total Arthur Richards talks about c. 32 people in his evaluations and he also gives Sir Harry Luke some information on the Coconut Estates on Fiji, Mines, Suva Yacht Club etc. He goes on to talk about Sir Harry Luke’s arrival and swearing in as governor and taking the oath ‘the whole being relayed over the wireless’ / ‘I assure you that the whole of Fiji + much of the Western Pacific will be listening in, so make a good speech.’ / Magnificent, confidential report between two important representatives of the British Empire during a very sensitive period of world history.

[This item is part of the Sir Harry Luke – Archive / Collection]. Suva (Fiji), Government House, 1938. Octavo / Quarto From the private collection / library of colonial governor, diplomat and historian, Sir Harry Luke.

17. [Pacific Content] – Luke, Sir Harry

Omnibus-Letters on the British Pacific Colonies with a multitude of severe Manuscript-Annotations in working-copies of these Omnibus-Letters. These very rare, printed (!) personal and confidential situation-reports from Fiji, Trinidad and Barbados are dated between December 1940 – June 1946, when Luke sent “probably my last ‘omnibus letter’ from the West Indies, as my work here comes to an end in the autumn”. These omnibus letters were all marked “Private and Personal” and are full of details about Luke’s work during his position as “Governor of Fiji and High Commissioner in the Western Pacific” as well as touching on his experiences during his role as “Chief Representative of the British Council in the Caribbean”. See a Full List of the Omnibus – Letters below.

[This item is part of the Sir Harry Luke – Archive / Collection]. Suva (Fiji) / Barbados / Port-of-Spain (Trinidad) /, Government Printing Office etc., 1940 – 1946. Octavo. Original Softcover pamphlets, stapled, loosely inserted in pouch titled: “His Excellency the Governor”. Harry Luke’s (Lukach) personal working copies. Very good condition.

18. [Pacific Content] – Luke, Sir Harry.

People of the Solomon Islands [Essay published in “The Listener”, this being Harry Luke’s personal copy with a minor manuscript correction in his hand].

[This item is part of the Sir Harry Luke – Archive / Collection]. BBC, The Listener, 1942. Folio. 4 pages with several photographic illustrations (by H.A.Bernatzik etc.). Stapled. Harry Luke’s (Lukach) personal working copy. Very good condition.

19. [Pacific Content] – [Luke, Sir Harry] / Arthur Frederick Richards, 1st Baron Milverton (High Commissioner for the Western Pacific 1936 – 1938) / Dawe, A.J. (Under Secretary of State, Colonial Office (also operating from Downing Street)) / Kennedy, Donald Gilbert] / J.C. Barley [R.C. (Resident Commissioner on Ocean Island)].

Four Original, Typed Letters from A.F.Richards [that was Arthur Frederick Richards, 1st Baron Milverton] in his capacity of High Commissioner for the Western Pacific during the years 1936 – 1938. These four letters were compiled as Memorandum of the British Western Pacific Islands, particularly the Gilbert Islands and were compiled by Richards for A.J.Dawe, then Under Secretary of State for the Colonial Office, who sent them on to Sir Harry Luke in an official envelope “On His Majesty’s Service” , stamped with the seal of the Secretary of State – Colonial Department. The letters with manuscript annotations and markings bear manuscript annotations and markings by Sir Harry Luke in pencil. The four letters stretch over 44 Folio-pages and are a detailed “Situation-Report” of nearly all the islands in the realm of the Gilberts and some other Islands. Richards reports for example about Ocean Island, Tarawa, Nauru, Gilbert and Ellice Islands, Rotuma and Taveuni, Marshall Islands and Butaritari, Beru, Nanumanga, Vaitupu, Samoa, Fiji, Apolosi, etc. etc. which was forwarded by the Secretary of State-Office to Sir Harry Luke, who succeeded A.F.Richards as High Commissioner for the Western Pacific in 1938, after a brief period in which Sir Cecil Barton was installed as actiong High Commissioner only. The Letters / Memorandum are very detailed and strikingly honest in its assessment of certain colonial officers in charge of their stations. Richards does not hold back in criticism for the lack of style and efficiency in running their stations.

[This item is part of the Sir Harry Luke – Archive / Collection]. [Pacific], June 1937 – August 1937. Slim Folio. 44 pages, stapled. Harry Luke’s (Lukach) personal working copy. Very good condition.

20. [Pacific Content] – [Luke, Sir Harry / Lukach, Harry].

Drafted letter by Sir Harry Luke regarding his appointment in 1938 [as Governor of Fiji]. On St.James Club – stationery and with a calling card of Luke. / With a later note from 1945 on the letterhead.

[This item is part of the Sir Harry Luke – Archive / Collection]. London, 1938 / 1945. Octavo. From the private collection / library of colonial governor, diplomat and historian, Sir Harry Luke.