The news on Asian collections blog keeps readers updated on new acquisitions and developments in the Asian collections at the IISH.
Collecting materials on Asia started in earnest in 1987, and in 2011 the South East Asia Region desk was created. The Desk collected materials from Burma, China, Indonesia/Dutch East Indies, Malaysia, Philippines, and Thailand.
There were also Desks for:
In 2017 the Desks were disbanded, but of course the IISH still collects Asian materials. The coordinator within the IISH for acquisitioning Asian Collections is Eef Vermeij
Recently (May 26, 2019) Prem Tinsunalond, the chairman of the Privy Council and influential meddler in Thai politics passed away. Next to all the eulogies, there were actually some critical pieces as well which threw a different light on his career in the Thai military and Thai politics.
There’s a number of speeches from Aung San held at City Hall Rangoon, Birma:
A selection of photos from Htein Win's collection of '88 photographs is now on display in Burma for the 30th anniversary of the uprising.
Early 2018 IISH received a small collection on Burma from Patricia Herbert (London, 1943).
When Peter Schumacher was still correspondent in Asia he visited Cambodia in 1973 and 1974 from Hong Kong where he was based. These visits resulted in stories on the war for the Dutch progressive weekly Vrij Nederland.
Songkran or Thai New Year (April 13-15) is the most important festival/holiday in Thailand and a festival rich with traditions a.o. merit making and offering food to monks, paying reverence to elders etc.
Poster from Laos, produced by the Editions du Neo Lao Haksat (Lao Patriotic Front) to celebrate the 2000th U.S. plane shot down over Laos, in the period from 1964 until 1971.
Recently, while going through yet to be processed posters from diffferent Asian countries, we stumbled upon this little gem.
In 2014 Antoinette Raquiza donated her collection of documents on the Philippine Left to the International Institute of Social History.
Recently two new Thai collections have been made available at the IISH.
After having announced last September the availability of the Michael Bedford Collection, it is now time to announce the same for the Michael Bedford Papers.
The business of Low San Lee (right side of the yellow sign) seems to be closed down, the actual lettering of his business has been taken of, but the stains left behind clearly spell out his name ...
