MS 441 01 05

MS 441 01 05

Papers of Sir Douglas and Lady Busk: Scrapbooks

Sub-series

1938-1964

4 items

Four large scrapbooks, dating from 1938 to 1964, containing formal and informal photographs, writings, clippings, artwork by Bridget Busk. They also include printed ephemera relating to Douglas Busk’s work in the Foreign Office in South Africa, Japan, Turkey and Iraq as well as British Ambassador to Ethiopia, Finland, and Venezuela.

In addition to personal photographs of friends and family, there are many photographs recording expeditions into the countryside and in the mountains.

The scrapbooks include formal photographs of Busk’s diplomatic career, notably:
- British Embassy staff in Tokyo in 1940
- Embassy functions in Baghdad in 1946
- King Feisal's 12th birthday party
- Busk's introduction to Haile Selassie, as well as programmes, invitations, menus and clippings relating to Haile Selassie's visit to Great Britain in 1954
- Haile Selassie's Silver Jubilee in 1955
- Prince Philip's visit to Venezuela in 1962

There is also a number of typescripts in the scrapbooks, including:
- A typescript speech by Busk on the subject of the Commonwealth in 1958
- A typescript reminiscence of Prince Philip's visit to Venezuela
- A typescript entitled 'Two Tales from the Andes'

Additional items of note include a large watercolour by Bridget entitled 'View of the Kremlin from the British Embassy'; a letter signed by Joan Crawford and a number of photographs of Busk's expedition to the Cordillera de Mérida in Venezuela with Nathaniel Davis and George Band.