General Correspondence, 1922-79

Component identifier:

Series 1

Content Summary:

There are over 1,500 letters written to Luce by relatives, scholars and friends over a period of 57 years, from 1922 to 1979 (in 92 Files). Only 8 Files are from the period 1912 to 1945, as Luce lost all his library, his research notes and letters during the Second World War. So although Luce had been closely connected in his younger days with eminent English intellectuals and writers, only a few letters from

E.M. Forster (File 56), Eric Blair ('George Orwell') (File 5), Arthur Waley and Hubert Waley have survived. There are also some letters of Maurice Collis, who wrote many books on Burma.

Among the correspondents are South East Asian scholars such as D.G.E. Hall (who was a colleague of Luce in the University of Rangoon before World War II), Professor Oliver W. Wolters, Charles Otto Blagden, H.L. Shorto, J.A. Stewart, H.G. Quaritch Wales, Dr Eugenie J.A. Henderson, Denise Bernot, Isaline B. Horner, Paul Wheatley, G.E. Harvey, Alexander B. Griswold and Dr Pamela Gutman. There are letters from well-known Burmese scholars and writers like U Pe Maung Tin, U Tet Htoot, U Thein Han (pen-name Zawgyi), U Wun (pen-name Minthuwun), U Kaung (first Chairman of the Burma Historical Commission), Dr Htin Aung, Dr Daw Thin Kyi, U Thant (later Secretary-General of the United Nations), U Tin Htway, U Lu Pe Win, U Aung Thaw, U Bo Kay, Nai Pan Hla and others. Luce also corresponded with the Burma Research Society, the Burma Historical Commission, the British and Foreign Bible Society, the Royal Asiatic Society and other organizations.

Through his knowledge of all areas of old Burmese culture, Luce was able to elucidate many matters, answer thousands of questions with patience and erudition, and place the history of Burma in the context of wider South East Asia and its neighbours.

In this series there are also many drafts of Luce's own letters to relatives, friends and scholars. Of special note are two interesting series of letters. In 1944-45 he corresponded with the Allied Military Authorities to spare Pagan, Mandalay and other prominent historical sites of Burma from bombing and other destructive shelling during the 'Reconquest' of Burma. The second series, dating from 1945-46, is his correspondence with the Military Administration Authorities and the Burma Office in London, trying to trace his library of precious manuscripts and rare books. The collection, which included Chinese and Tibetan material and 25 years of research notes compiled in Rangoon University Library, was taken to Japan during the War.

Some notes and short articles by Luce and others are attached to some of the letters. For example, there is a note entitled 'Old Burma Research', dated 22 May 1970, attached to a letter in Burmese by U Tin Htway dated 24 June 1970 (File 58) and an article 'The Wedding of Aung San Suu Kyi and Michael Vaillancourt Aris on New Year's Day 1972', by Lord Gore-Booth, attached to a letter sent by Gore-Booth to Luce on 14 January 1972 (File 63).

Names:

G. H. Luce

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