In today’s peak behind the #dusty curtains, we are admiring a variety of stamps from MS 40320, aka The Light Letters Collection! Stamps are important to determine the provenance of a historical document. The Stamps in this collection are multilingual too! How many different ones do you spot?

As we celebrate the festive season, lets share a few Christmas cards! At SOAS Special Collections, we hold material from many NGO'S and charities . This card was designed by Christian Aid in 1974, as part of their Christmas Appeal to raise funds for global causes. Box CA2/D/20

Check out our Manuscript of the Day! Majālis al-muʼminīn ( MS 46421), is written in a modern, Persian, Shikastah script. It's opening chapter is embellished with gold illuminations, a decorative art form known as Tahzib. #EYASparkle

#dusty Looking for a new read? Try this digitised Chronicle of Mombasa (1899 C.E.)! This Swahili chronicle (MS 373394) narrates the historical account of the Omani conquest of the Coast in the 17th century. You can read the full text at on our new Digital Collections website!

We hold archives, manuscripts & rare books relating to the British experience in Africa, Asia & the Middle East, including missionary, trade & NGO records, plus personal papers of individuals connected to these regions. We are open to everyone - come and visit! #EYAYourArchives

We are very excited to announce the launch of our new digital library platform which will host all of our digital content, including curated exhibitions and featured collections. Find out more here: https://soas.quartexcollections.com/?cid= #EYADigital

Half-length picture of woman by Utamaro Kitagawa c.1804 shows her holding a pet dog in her arms https://ow.ly/qeeH50X8roe #EYAPets

The cutie in this picture is called 'Rags'. The photo, taken late C19th, is from the papers of John Charles Oswald, a British tea merchant in China. More of Oswald's photographs are available to view online here: https://ow.ly/RgBp50XuwkN #EYAPets

This 1885 engraving by CE Andrew shows a Tower of Silence, a place for excarnation where the deceased are placed on top to decompose naturally. https://ow.ly/pGgn50X8qFY #EYASilence

Barbers in China, photographed by tea trader J C Oswald in late C19th China #EYABeauty

This image is from an album of paintings of flowers, fruits, birds and animals by Chinese artist Jiang Liren, c. 1774 #EYABeauty

✊ Fist (Yantra the Sacred Ink Series), Cedric Arnold (Thailand, 2010) Detail of sacred yantra tattoos — symbols of protection & strength found across Southeast Asia. See it in #GiftedExhibition, on view at SOAS Gallery until 13 Dec. #SOASGallery #SOASCollections

Our conservator has been hard at work restoring some of our palm leaf manuscripts. These are fragile and prone to breakage but available for consultation again after conservation. #EYAConservation

Did you know our new digital library is up and running, with loads of digitised content from our Missionary collections, particularly CWM and MMS? Find it all here: https://soas.quartexcollections.com/archives/missionary-archives?cid= #EYAReligion

In celebration of international #EspressoDay, we'd like to share this review of a coffee machine, taken from the Shanghai Social magazine (1914). This was a monthly publication that began as a women's magazine but expanded to cover various aspects of social life in Shanghai.

This hand-drawn and coloured illustration of a Mufti is from an album of Paintings illustrating Turkish costumes (MS 60368) by Marcel Cousinery [1808-1826] #EYAReligion https://ow.ly/NTqp50XeOKp

Immaculate Conception Cathedral, Roman Catholic church, Pondicherry : from An Album of Company Paintings of Occupations and Festivals published in 1830, Tamil Nadu India #EYAReligion https://ow.ly/XeGT50X9OsA

A hilltop church in Madagascar, photographed in late C19th by missionary and geologist Richard Baron #EYAReligion https://digital.soas.ac.uk/RB00000038/00001

Why look at London on a grey and wet day when you can brighten your day up staring at #ArtInLondon and this #CubistArt city-scape from Myanmar by #PawOoThet just one of the #ContemporaryArt in our current #ArtExhibition GIFTED at #SOASGallery until Dec 13

This accordion-bound prayer book, 慈悲地藏寶懺, (Ci bei Dizang bao chan)was printed in 1898 #EYAReligion https://ow.ly/BjP950X9alL

The Royal Lamba from Madagascar holds significant cultural identity amongst the Malagasy People. Also used as a burial shroud, the Lamba symbolises a connection to their ancestors during times of remembrance, such as funerals. #EYASpirituality

An image of Oha stones in Nagaland. These spirit dwellings & symbols of luck (sometimes kept in homes or granaries) were counted by the village priest at the head-tree. An increase in number was a good omen. #EYASpirituality https://digital.soas.ac.uk/LOAA004487/00001

This manuscript of the Kāraṇda-vyūha-sūtra features Avalokiteśvara in Tibeto-Nepalese style, promoting the mantra Ōṃ maṇi padme hūṃ. Written in ornate Nepalese script, its pages are stacked between wooden boards and tied with braid.#EYAReligion

49. Swire Properties, founded in Hong Kong in 1972, began with Taikoo Shing on the former dockyard site. Listed in 1999, it specializes in high-end residential, commercial, and retail projects across Hong Kong, China, and beyond. #JSSArchives50 🧵

48. In 1965, Swire acquired HK’s Coca-Cola franchise by buying Hong Kong Bottlers. In 1989, Coca-Cola partnered with Swire to help relaunch in Mainland China after 40 years. Partnering with CITIC, Swire built bottling plants & networks across 7 provinces #JSSArchives50 🧵

C17th composite manuscript in Gǝ’ǝz (Ethiopic). Written in several hands, it includes a variety of religious texts, the Ethiopian calendar, and passages from Scripture with comments exemplars #EYAReligion https://ow.ly/ABqE50X922K

47. Launched in 1950, CNCo’s New Guinea Australia Line (NGAL) connected Australia & PNG post-WWII—moving copra, timber, passengers & mining gear. With ships like Shansi & Soochow, NGAL linked remote Pacific ports & helped build regional trade. #JSSArchives50 🧵

46. 1986 Cathay Pacific Airways marked its 40th anniversary by listing on the Hong Kong stock exchange. The flotation was heavily oversubscribed meaning that demand for shares far exceeded availability shattering Hong Kong records. #JSSArchives50 🧵

Gate of spiritual Valour, entrance to the Forbidden City, Beijing, c.1910 #EYASpirituality

45. Cathay Pacific uniforms evolved from post-war military styles to high fashion. Designers like Pierre Balmain, Hermès, Nina Ricci & Eddie Lau shaped iconic looks. In 2018, trousers were introduced for female crew—marking a shift toward comfort & inclusivity #JSSArchives50 🧵

Our final #BlackHistoryMonth highlight is from our Movement for Colonial Freedom Archive! This selection of publicity material was issued by the anti-colonial and anti-racist campaign group, The Movement for Colonial Freedom. Browse MCF Archive on the SOAS Archives Catalogue!

44. Cathay Pacific’s planes were once grey, white & red. In 1971, the iconic green “lettuce leaf sandwich” livery debuted—Brunswick green with white stripes & a British flag tail. It flew until 1994, when the sleek “brushwing” logo took over. #JSSArchives50 🧵

🖋️ We love a good mystery! This “orphaned” artwork from the SOAS Collections echoes 1930s Chinese museology & WW2 postcards - could it link to Yu Youren? Any clues? Email us 👉 [email protected] #SOASGallery #GiftedExhibition #MuseumMystery

This #BlackHistoryMonth highlight is from Press cuttings relating to a visit to Jamaica made by Harold Moody in 1947! You can view the full item and more press cuttings in CWM/CMS/Jamaica/Subject Files, Box 1

43. By 1979 Cathay Pacific had acquired its first Boeing 747 and, after a decade of rapid expansion was granted permission in 1980 to fly to London making Hong Kong's flag-carrier a truly international airline at last. #JSSArchives50 🧵

Our conservator has been working her magic recently on some of our palm leaf manuscripts to remove staining and repair brittle edges #EYAConservation

42. On 15 June 1972, CPA Flight 700Z was sabotaged mid-air over South Vietnam. A bomb hidden in a suitcase killed all 81 onboard. The crash site was hard to access due to the war, and though a suspect was arrested, he was later acquitted for lack of evidence #JSSArchives50 🧵

41. In 1948, Cathay Pacific suffered the world’s first mid-air hijacking. Gangsters targeted Miss Macao for its gold cargo. After the pilot was shot, the plane crashed into the sea—killing 25 of 26 onboard. Swire soon distanced itself from the Macau gold run. #JSSArchives50 🧵

Today’s #BlackHistoryMonth highlight is from our rare books collection! Thomas Birch Freeman, West African pioneer is a selection of letters from Thomas Birch Freeman (1809-1890) and William DeGraft (d. c. 1847). MMSL AF-WE065

40. On July 5, 1998, Cathay Pacific’s Flight CX889 “Polar One” became the first nonstop commercial flight from NYC to Hong Kong over the North Pole. The Boeing 747-400 was also the first to land at the new HK International Airport at Chek Lap Kok #JSSArchives50 🧵

Our next #BlackHistoryMonth highlight is our fantastic collection of Mail Art by Hassan Musa! Hassan Musa (b.1951, Sudan), a contemporary visual artist, is well-known for his complex textile paintings and subjective calligraphy. MS 381333

39. Founded in 1946, Cathay Pacific caught Jock Swire’s eye as air travel rose. In 1948, Swire took a management stake. From one surplus DC3 named Betsy, the fleet grew to six DC3s & a Catalina. Cathay’s rise became Jock Swire’s special pride. #JSSArchives50 🧵

38. WWII bombing devastated Swire’s London records. Backups in Liverpool & Glasgow were also lost to fire. “All our books and records are gone,” wrote Jock Swire. In Hong Kong, Japanese occupation left just one scrap of paper when staff returned to the office #JSSArchives50 🧵

37. When Hong Kong fell in 1941, Taipan C.C. Roberts was interned at Stanley Camp for 4 years with 155 B&S staff and families. His letters to London and detailed records of rations, finances, and sleeping arrangements offer a vivid glimpse into camp life #JSSArchives50 🧵

37. When Hong Kong fell in 1941, Taipan C.C. Roberts was interned at Stanley Camp for 4 years with 155 B&S staff and families. His letters to London and detailed records of rations, finances, and sleeping arrangements offer a vivid glimpse into camp life #JSSArchives50 🧵

36. WWII brought hardship for Butterfield & Swire staff in Hong Kong & China. In 1941, HK staff were interned after the Japanese invasion; Shanghai staff followed in 1942. The company stayed in touch & offered support to its interned employees and their families #JSSArchives50 🧵

35. During WWII, Butterfield & Swire moved its HQ to Bombay & Calcutta after Japanese forces occupied Shanghai & HK. From India, it managed regional operations, including CNCo ships requisitioned for war. A small office in Chungking oversaw business in China #JSSArchives50 🧵

34. Formed in the 1930s to supply CNCo, OPCo launched a paint factory in Shanghai despite Swire’s limited expertise. Partnering with British firm PJ&Co in 1934, OPCo was seized by the Japanese in 1942, but returned to Swire in 1945—with production back by 1946 JSSArchives50 🧵

Poster of Durga as the killer of the buffalo demon, 1976-1978 #EYAMonsters https://ow.ly/tL5c50X1xBo

Reminiscent of the Indian Mkara and the sino-annamite dragon an ornate twelfth-century figure of a fantastic monster representing the more violent aspect of cham design in culture. #EYAMonsters https://digital.soas.ac.uk/LOAA000392/00001