Post-World War II, 1939-1973

Component identifier:

Subseries 4-4

Content Summary:

Chiefly business correspondence, but also featuring some correspondence relating to Braga's historical interests, his community activities and various personal matters. Other papers include legal, administrative and financial documents, together with printed material and drafts of writings.

Braga moved from Macau to Hong Kong in 1946. The subseries documents conditions in Macau and Hong Kong in the immediate aftermath of World War II, as well as the economic, social and political environment in Hong Kong from the late 1940s until Braga's move to Australia in 1968.

In Hong Kong, Braga established Braga Co, an import-export company, and there is correspondence with various companies in Macau, Hong Kong, China, the United States, Thailand, Portugal and elsewhere, particularly the J.B. Romano Company, the Dah Cheng Corporation, the South East Asia Trading Company, A. Luzitana Company and the Sociedade Comercial Intermares Lda.

Much of the general correspondence relates to Braga's historical interests, including contact with booksellers, libraries and like-minded researchers regarding the acquisition of materials for his library, and the eventual sale of the library to the National Library of Australia in 1966. There are also papers relating to Braga's family life, including his children's schooling in Hong Kong and abroad, family travels and Braga's plans to move to Australia.

Among the principal correspondents are Warren Achuck, John Correia Afonso, Laurenço O. Aguilar, Luis Menezes Alves, Alberto Ares, T.S. Bao, Lee Ben, Edmund Blunden, Geoffrey W. Bonsall, Charles Boxer, Clement Braga, Paul Braga, P. Ramiro Branco, C.B. Burgess, Cesar Carqueja, Daphne Chun, Wei Chung, A.T. Clark, Austin Coates, Albert Cooney, Mário Lopes da Costa, Augusto Sá da Costa, Joseph Dehergne, F.S. Drake, G.B. Endacott, Maude Franks, Luis Gomes, Eric Halpern, Sir Robert Ho Tung, Cheng Hung, Soame Jenyns, Horace Kadoorie, Johannes Laures, A. Melby, George Mensaert, Adriano Moreira, Jon A. Prescott, F. de Carvalho Rêgo, António da Silva Rego, Eduardo Reis, Faustino Reis, John B. Romano, Gustavo U. da Roza, Ico Silva (?), Manuel Teixeira, G.M. Toscano and H.A. Wittenbach.

[38 files]

Immediate source of acquisition:

The bulk of the Braga Collection (including manuscripts, pictures, maps, newspapers, serials, periodicals, monographs and ephemera) was purchased from J.M. Braga in 1966. The component held in the Manuscript Collection at MS 4300 appears to have been formally accessioned as the J.M. Braga Papers in 1975. Several small additions have been made since the original instalment of papers was received. Most of these additions were transfers to the Manuscripts Collection from other collection areas, including a file of newspaper cuttings in May 1975, a set of microfilm reels in 1984, a file of manuscript material in 1985, lists of the Braga Collection in 1994, and two files of assorted printed material and other papers in 2009. As well, several small additions have been made by members of the Braga family. In 1992, various Braga family members donated a copy of the eulogy and order of service for Augusta Braga's memorial service, and in 2002 Angela Braga donated photographs of medals and decorations awarded to J.P. Braga, together with photocopies of early writings of J.M. Braga and eulogies for J.M. Braga and his grandson Michael Braga.

Subjects:

History

Names:

Braga, J.M. (José Maria)

Contents

Access and use