Beschreibung:

Sir Harry Hamilton Johnston
Personal archive, comprising:
i) a document signed by Lord Salisbury as Foreign Secretary, transmitting official instructions to Johnston on his appointment as "Her Majesty's Special Commissioner Commander in Chief and Consul General in the Protectorate of Uganda and adjoining territories" (" ... the way is now clear for the development of the Country and the establishment of trade, the foundation of a system which will give to Uganda the advantages enjoyed by the inhabitants of other portions of the tropical possessions of protectorates of Her Majesty ..."), 8 pages, folio, embossed Foreign Office seal, 1 July 1899, slight dust-staining to first page and last blank
ii) Document signed by Lord Lansdowne, Sainsbury's successor as Foreign Secretary, congratulating Johnston on the termination of his employment ("... in spite of the uncertainty which attends every advance into Africa, His Majesty's Government have grounds for hope that the foundations have now been laid on which may be built up an Administration which will conduce to the happiness of the natives and the growth of civilisation and commercial prosperity throughout the Protectorate ..."), 2 pages, folio, embossed Foreign Office seal, 27 September 1901
iii) Two long autograph letters signed by Johnston to "Sir Percy" (possibly Sir Percy Anderson, head of the African Department at the Foreign Office), describing his career at length, alluding to his contact with Stanley and his exploration of Kilimanjaro, discussing the administration of South Central Africa, for which he was British commissioner at the time, providing a "medical dissertation" on the incidence of malaria and black water fever ("... if we could only reduce this particular malady to impotence the development of this country would be tremendous..."), and mentioning his report (see below) on an expedition against slave-trading which "effected in two and a half days' fighting...what the Lakes company and Lugard could not do in two years" , 32 pages, 8vo, The Residency, Zomba, British Central Africa, 31 December 1895 and 5 March 1896
iv) Seven letters and other material: One autograph and one typed letter signed by Johnston to his relatives about family and financial matters and his house in Port Alice; one autograph letter signed by Clement H Hill to Johnston, congratulating him on his marriage; four letters to Johnston regarding family matters, his paintings, and standing for parliament; manuscript of an article on Avignon in an unidentified hand; an early 18th-century vellum indenture; and a copy of the August 1890 issue of 'The Nineteenth Century' containing an article by Johnston as Consul in Mozambique; the seven letters 31 pages, chiefly 8vo, Port Alice, Zomba, Foreign Office and Tudor House, 1878 -1902
v) Printed material: five reports and papers by Johnston concerning the suppression of slave-trading in British Central Africa and the administration of the Protectorate, with seven coloured folding maps, folio, modern folding box, 1892-1896, occasional slight marginal foxing, maps slightly offset, extracts from The Graphic written and illustrated by Johnston, namely a front page and 3 articles: "An Artist in Zanzibar: Sir John Kirk at Home" "The History of a Slave" and "Nyasa-land and its inhabitants", large folio, loose, 1885-1890, a few minor tears, and six coloured plates from original sketches and drawings by Johnston, one depicting "The Okapi (Okapia Johnstoni) The New Animal Discovered in Central Africa" folio, loose, one small tear
"...The fact is that by 1899 this protectorate will be ripe for transformation into a Crown Colony, which is I think its only practical and suitable development. As a Crown Colony it will take its place in the Great South African Federation. I feel that the continued immigration of white planters and settlers is making the protectorate system of administration quite inadequate..."
AN ARCHIVE REVEALING OF BRITISH COLONIAL ATTITUDES AND AMBITIONS AT THE HEIGHT OF EMPIRE.
PROVENANCE:Humphrey Winterton; his sale, Sotheby's, London, 28-29 May 2003, lot 432