Description
Object description
Russian civilian in Soviet Union, US and China, 1913-1930s; American civilian served with US Foreign Service in China, Honduras and India from 1930s
Content description
REEL 1 Background in Vladivostok, Soviet Union, and San Francisco, US, 1913-1920: family including connections with US and British troops during Russian Civil War; memories of childhood including effects of war; Japanese and Korean communities in Vladivostok; move to San Francisco with niece of Alexander Kerensky; story of parent's visit to ballet in Western Russia, 1916; visit to Governor of Siberia's summer residence; family farm; description of visits to grandparents' house; languages spoken; memories of life in San Francisco including education; journey to Tsingtao via Vladivostok; education; journey to Tientsin; story of King and Queen of Belgium in San Francisco.
REEL 2 Aspects of period as civilian in Tientsin, China and US including work with US Foreign Service in China from 1930s, 1920-1942: concessions in Tientsin; education including memories of Yoshida family; details of life in Tientsin; relationship with Chinese; summer 1927; awareness of political situation in China; changes to life after Marco Polo Incident in 1937; education at Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts; reason for leaving; journey to California; education at University of California in Berkeley; question of women working; effects of Great Depression; background to gaining work with American Diplomatic Service; signing of birth certificate; knowledge of Japanese atrocities in Nanking and Shanghai; situation on arrival in Tientsin, 1920; opinion of Japanese; curfew introduced after Pearl Harbour; opinion of Japanese troops.
REEL 3 Continues: presence of Emperor Puyi in Tientsin including attitude of British; departure of British people to Hong Kong, 1939; details of Tientsin flood, 1940; work with American Consulate; expectation of war with Japan; changes in American concession before and after attack on Pearl Harbour; visits to Swiss Embassy; description of journey to US as part of diplomatic exchange, 1942. Aspects of period as civilian with US Foreign Service in US and Honduras, 1942-1945: details of period interned on Ellis Island; items taken to US.
REEL 4 Continues: reason for internment; work in State Department during voyage; problems with eye and posting to Honduras; duties; German civilians in Honduras; life in Honduras; VE Day celebrations during leave in San Francisco; attendance at early United Nations meeting; posting to China; news of Atom Bombs; flight to Shanghai including stops en route. Aspects of period as civilian with US Foreign Service in Shanghai, China, and Calcutta, India from 1945: situation in Shanghai including accommodation; background to posting in Nanking; organisation of leisure activities and religious services; Communists among foreign service personnel and political situation in China; events during Communist march on Nanking; tour of American consulates in China including flooding ceremony witnessed in Szechuan.
REEL 5 Continues: tour of American consulates in China; curfew introduced by Communists and subsequent leisure activities; opinion of Communists; memories of US Ambassador Leighton Stewart including his evacuation to Washington DC; departure as part of diplomatic exchange; posting to Calcutta; story of receiving news of Yangtze Incident's end; situation in India; contact and work with Mother Theresa; background of husband; courting and marriage; contact with Adam von Trott zu Solz; husband's involvement with Kurdistan; story of voyage from Hong Kong to Bombay.