The Collections

Biological Drawings from E. Julian Duncan

The biological drawings include the original sketches done primarily by Melville Julien and Yola Rogers Lewis as part of the Macroalgae project. It also contains illustrations that accompany Duncan, E. Julian. “Facts of Interest on Some of the Plants Found Growing in Trinidad and Tobago.” Trinidad Naturalist Magazine. Vol. 2, No. 7, 1979: 14-22. The drawings give three-dimensional pictures of the specimens and are important adjuncts to herbarium records. The drawings have been arranged into the following categories: Helerokantophyta, Phaeophyceae, Chlorophyta, Rhodophyta, Male Morpho butterfly, Flowering plants, Other Flora.

Macroalgae project: In 1980, a project designed to record the marine macroalgae of Trinidad and Tobago was initiated in the Department of Life Sciences at The University of the West Indies. Students were employed during the period 1980-1982 to assist with collecting macroalgae from shorelines to depth 5m. Identification of the samples was obtained from Mr. Marshall Greenwell of the National Research Council of Canada. Two students, Melville Julien and Yola Rogers Lewis made Indian ink drawings of the live specimens. During the period 2000-2002, Ms. Lori lee Lum and Professor Duncan verified previously collected data and created the checklist of the macroalgae of Trinidad and Tobago.the for the publications: Duncan, E. Julian and Lori M. Lee Lum. “A Checklist of the Marine Macroalgae of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.” Caribbean Marine Studies. Vol. 7, 2006: 1-96.

The collection was donated by Professor E. Julian Duncan was born in 1933 on the island of St. Vincent where he received his early education. He graduated from the University College of the West Indies in 1960 with a B.Sc in Botany and Zoology. He earned his PhD from St. Andrew University, Scotland in 1963. His doctoral work was on Fungal Genetics and Cytology. He began lecturing at the Department of Life Sciences at The University of the West Indies in 1963 and served for over 35 years.

Bullbrook Papers

John Bullbrook, an English archaeologist and historian, came to Trinidad in 1913 as a petroleum geologist. He began his archaeological career in 1919, pioneering the search on the indigenous population of Trinidad. In the 1940s, he conducted extensive excavations in the Amerindian middens in Cedros, Erin and Palo Seco. He later became curator of the Royal Victoria Institute (now the National Museum). He died in 1967.

The collection contains correspondence with Yale University, 1941-9163; correspondence with a variety of persons on the subject of archaeology in the West Indies, 1917-1960; correspondence with the Historical Society of Trinidad and Tobago, 1939-1949; and correspondence with the Trinidad and Tobago Field Naturalists Club.

The collection was donated to The University of the West Indies by Carlisle Chang in October 2000.

C.L. Williams Papers

Mr. Charles Louis Williams was a public servant in the Inland Revenue Department of Trinidad and Tobago, who rose to the level of Commissioner of Inland Revenue. He was actively interested in birds and other fauna of Trinidad and Tobago and was a founding member of the Bird and Animal Protection Society that became the Wild Life Protection Committee. He served as an Honorary Game Warden, Vice President of the Trinidad Field Naturalist Club and the President of the Wildlife Society of Trinidad and Tobago. He was also elected as an auditor of the Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Association in 1957.

This collection provides information on wildlife protection in Trinidad and Tobago. It includes correspondence and minutes of the Wild Life Protection Committee and Ordinances related to the protection of wild animals and birds in Trinidad and Tobago.

The collection was amassed by C.L. Williams who was directly involved with the activities of the Wild Life Protection Committee of Trinidad and Tobago and who was also interested in related issues. He donated it to The University of the West Indies.

C.L.R. James Collection

Cyril Lionel Robert James, writer, political activist and Marxist intellectual, was born in Tunapuna, Trinidad and Tobago in 1901. He attended Queen's Royal College and later migrated to England where he worked as a cricket correspondent. He read extensively and evolved as a leading Marxist thinker of his time. He spent periods of his life in the United States of America (1938-1953) and his homeland (1958-1962 and 1964-1965), involved in political activity. Between 1968 and 1975 he lived in the United States, mostly engaged in lecturing. He spent his later years in London, lecturing and writing, and died there in 1989.

The collection comprises the manuscripts, correspondence and personal and literary papers that remained in his possession at the time of his death, together with the books that formed his working library. Included among the papers are assorted typescripts of James' Toussaint L'Ouverture and The Black Jacobins; material on the life of Pan-Africanist, George Padmore; miscellaneous autobiographical writings. The most sustained correspondence covers the period 1950-1969 when James was involved with the Johnson-Forest Tendency. Other miscellaneous correspondence covers the period 1965-1969 and 1982-1989. The books, about 1500 volumes, consist of standard texts of nineteenth and twentieth-century English literature, history, politics, sociology and the like. There is also a collection of Wisden Almanacs and other books on cricket, as well as a substantial number of monographs on art and artists.

The collection was offered for sale some years after his death and was purchased by The University of the West Indies Library.

In 2005, the C.L.R. James Collection was named to UNESCO’s prestigious Memory of the World Register in recognition of its international significance.

Camps-Campins Greeting Card Collection

Adrian Camps-Campins, artist, was educated at St. Mary's College, Port of Spain, Trinidad, and at the Chartered Insurance Institute and the Insurance College at Surbiton, Surrey, England. He was exposed to art at an early age and experimented with portraiture done from photographs. His interest in the history of Trinidad and Tobago led him to create paintings of historical events, places, and people. In an effort to be authentic, he did extensive preparatory research and built his own archive in the process.

His first such painting was Christopher Columbus and his fleet in the Bocas del Dragon in 1498, which was made into a greeting card. His works are inspired by old photographs, newspaper clippings, historical events, and oral history interviews. His work, therefore, used the medium of art to depict significant insights into the history of people, places and events in Trinidad and Tobago. His cards also include detailed explanations of the events and locations in his painting, thus making them extremely valuable as an historical resource.

In 1977, his design of Christopher Columbus was used on a five-cent stamp and, in 1993, another of his paintings was chosen by UNICEF for one of their cards to be sold internationally.

Capildeo Papers

Dr. Rudranath Capildeo, mathematician, lawyer and politician, rose to prominence when he became the political leader of the Democratic Labour Party Trinidad and Tobago in 1960. He was seen by the party hierarchy as someone who had the intellectual ability and status to match Dr. Eric Williams of the People's National Movement. He was, however, basically an academic and chose to remain as a lecturer at the University of London, managing the party as an absentee political leader. He lost his seat in the 1967 elections, was removed as leader of the party and died in London in 1970.

The collection comprises twenty-eight (28) letters, fifteen (15) of which were written by Capildeo himself while he was a lecturer at University College, London. Capildeo wrote thirteen of these letters to Alloy Lequay, then secretary of the DLP. Vernon Jamadar and Thomas Bleadsell, DLP parliamentarians, were the other two recipients.

The letters lend insight into Capildeo as a politician. They reveal his difficult and ultimately unsuccessful attempts to lead the party from faraway Britain. The letters also depict Capildeo as a scholar: his delight when his work was published and the struggle to balance academia and politics.

Most of the letters to Capildeo were written by Lequay, who expressed his disapproval of Capildeo's refusal to stay in Trinidad and Tobago.

The collection was in the possession of Mr. Alloy Lequay, Chairman of the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board. He donated it to The University of the West Indies Library in May 2001.

Caribbean Charts and Engravings Circa 1555-1818

The Caribbean Charts and Engravings circa 1555-1818 collection comprises fifty-five framed items that showcase individual islands as well as the entire island chain. Drawn from the perspectives of cartographers at that time, these maps and charts provide statistical data and information on topography and local history. Several of the maps have unique illustrations, which can be valuable resources for the study of the cultural aspects of the islands in that era.

The collection was amassed by Colin Laird, who was born in England, 1924 and migrated to Trinidad and Tobago where he became a naturalized citizen in 1964. He is a renowned architect who is responsible for designing buildings such as the Trinidad and Tobago National Library. He has worked on several national committees, including his service as President of the Trinidad Art Society. His contribution to the development of local architecture was rewarded in 2001 with the Chaconia Gold Medal, a national award of Trinidad and Tobago. His life long interest in maps has been fuelled by his passion for yachting.

The National Library and Information Service housed the collection until 2009, when it was purchased by The University of the West Indies.

A catalogue of the maps is available in-house for interested researchers.

Caribbean Performing Arts: Programmes and Ephemera

The Caribbean Performing Arts: Programmes and Ephemera holds items collected over the years about theatre productions. The items were part of the Vertical File collection at The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine campus. The collection is primarily arranged in alphabetical order according to the title of the production. There are several series that highlight the work of production companies.

Caribbean Voices Correspondence

Photocopies of correspondence, covering the period 1945 to 1953, between West Indian authors and Henry Swanzy, editor of the Caribbean Voices programme that was broadcast on the BBC World Service. This programme offered stories, poetry, plays and literary criticism and launched the careers of many Caribbean writers.

The original correspondence collection is held at Birmingham University. Photocopies were acquired through the assistance of Professor Ken Ramchand, former lecturer in Literatures in English at The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine.

Carlisle Chang Collection

Carlisle Chang was born in San Juan, Trinidad in 1921. His father was a migrant from China and his mother, who was also of Chinese descent, was from British Guiana. Throughout a 60-year career in art, Chang was a mural and easel painter as well as a costume designer for carnival, theatre and ballet. As a designer of carnival costumes, Chang won the designers' prize several times. At least one of his designs has been depicted on a national postage stamp. The 1997 CLICO calendar, which became a collector's item, was one of his last major works. He died on May 6, 2001.

The collection includes sketches of carnival costumes, numerous other sketch pads, photographs, slides, correspondence, newspaper clippings, documents relating to Carifesta V, transparencies, catalogues of art exhibitions and the medal of the Bienal de Sao Paulo, Brazil, which Chang received.

Carlisle Chang bequeathed the collection to the Alma Jordan Library, The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine.

The Irma Goldstraw Collection held at the Alma Jordan Library, The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, also contains a folder of material relating to Carlisle Chang.

Botanical notes for Carlisle Chang's orchid collection: The document provides information on the types of orchids grown by Carlisle Chang. Carlisle Chang is known for his work as an artist and his involvement in many aspects of Caribbean culture. Little is known of his hobby in orchid culture. The document presents another view into the life of this individual and highlights his meticulous collection of data for his hobby.

Books from the personal library of Mr. Chang are held at the Festival Library and Cultural Resource Centre, Centre for the Creative and Festival Arts, The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine.

Carlton Whitborne Warner Papers

The collection contains correspondence, pamphlets and minutes relating to the Pharmaceutical Society of Trinidad and Tobago and the Civil Service Association. It also includes newspaper clippings on a variety of subjects and newspaper articles from the 1940s and 1950s by two prominent Anglican clergymen, Canons M. E. Farquhar and John Dennis Ramkeesoon.

Carlton Whitborne Warner, formerly of Tunapuna, Trinidad had been a pharmacist and a public servant. He was actively involved with the Pharmaceutical Society of Trinidad and Tobago.

Caroni Swamp

The collection covers the campaign led by Professor Bacon and the Blue River Action Committee against the attempt by Shell Trinidad Limited to transport liquified propane gas by barge through the Caroni Swamp which had been designated as a bird sanctuary. The collection consists of two folders with mainly letters and newspaper clippings. A photograph is included in one of the folders.

Peter Bacon (1938-2003), a wetlands biologist, was born in England but spent the greater part of his adult years and professional life in the Caribbean. In 1969, he became the first Ph.D. graduate in zoology at The University of the West Indies (U.W.I.), St. Augustine, in Trinidad and Tobago. His main research interests were in the ecology of coastal zones and wetlands, in which he established a strong international reputation. He was appointed Professor of Zoology at U.W.I., St. Augustine, in 1993. He died in 2003.

The collection was donated to the library by Professor Bacon.

Chris Mana Waite Carnival Research Material

The collection contains interviews and field notes collected by Chris Mana Waite while pursuing his doctoral studies 1987-1989. The material includes interviews with renowned persons who were practitioners of carnival arts at the time, cultural and social commentaries, and field notes on Orisha ceremonies. The PhD. thesis resulting from this work is Trinidad Masquerades: Performance, Play and Community in a Post-Colonial Carnival done at the University of Western Australia, 1994. The collection was donated by Chris Mana Waite in 2012. There are restrictions for use and access to this collection.

Christian Prayers in Yoruba

Wooden plaques etched by Joseph Joseph. Mr. Joseph Joseph, popularly known as Mr. Zampty of Sierra Leone Village, Diego Martin, Trinidad, was a carpenter by trade and had also served as a serviceman in the West India Regiment during World War I. His maternal grandparents were from West Africa and he developed a scholarly interest in Yoruba and taught the language at an evening school in River Estate in the late 1920s. He had learnt the rudiments of wood carving from older Africans and undertook the engraving of prayers and other sentiments onto wooden plaques.

The six wooden plaques are inscribed with the following Christian prayers in the Yoruba language:

• Lord's Prayer (Gbadura Oluwa)
• I Believe (Awon Aposteli); The Lord is my Shepherd (Oluwa li Oluso Agutan mi)
• Out of the Depths I have called unto Thee (Lati inu ibu wa)
• Africa our Motherland (Afrika Ile Iya wa).

The plaques were acquired by Professor Maureen Warner-Lewis, of the UWI, Mona Campus during her research into African language and cultural retentions in Trinidad and Tobago. She donated them to the Library's Oral and Pictorial Records Programme (OPReP).

Colonial Bank Correspondence

The Colonial Bank, the forerunner to Barclay's Bank and Republic Bank Limited, was established in the West Indian colonies as an effort, on the part of a group of merchants and private bankers in London, to fill the need for a banking system. The business commenced in Trinidad and other colonies (Jamaica, Barbados, British Guiana, St. Thomas) on May 15, 1837. By the end of 1837, thirteen branches and agencies had been established.

The collection of letters consists of the incoming correspondence to the Colonial Bank in Trinidad from its inception in 1837 to 1885. It comprises a total of 1,848 items, the majority of which - about 57% - are letters from the Court of Directors in London to the Manager in Trinidad. The correspondence affords an insight into the economic and social history of Trinidad, the banking needs of the sugar planters and the precarious nature of sugar production in the nineteenth century.

Republic Bank Limited inherited the collection of documents from Barclays Bank. The collection was donated to The University of the West Indies as part of the celebration of the 150th anniversary of the Bank's operations.

Constitution Commission Papers

The Constitution Commission was appointed in June 1987 to hold an inquiry in public, "to consider the Constitution of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago and to make recommendations for the revision thereof." The Commission was chaired by Sir Isaac Hyatali.

This collection consists mainly of minutes, papers, notes of proceedings, correspondence, submissions and other materials collected, used, and generated by the Constitution Commission during the period of its existence, 1987-1990. The papers shed light on various aspects of the political development of Trinidad and Tobago on the subject of constitutional reform; and the constitutional history of the twin-island Republic.

This collection was amassed by Professor Selwyn Ryan, who was a member of the Commission. He donated it to the UWI Library, St. Augustine, on completion of the business of the Commission.

Cruising the Caribbean: a Scrapbook by Dr. and Mrs. William E. Lippold.

The scrapbook provides details of two cruises through the Caribbean undertaken by Dr. and Mrs. William E. Lippold aboard the M.S. Kungsholm in 1932. The first cruise which commemorated the couple's silver wedding anniversary, made stops at St. Thomas, Caracas Venezuela, Panama, Jamaica and Cuba. The second trip was a New Year's cruise to Bermuda. The scrapbook contains correspondence, ephemera, mementoes and observations about the ports and on-board activities.

Dennis Mahabir Collection

Dennis Jules Mahabir was born in Trinidad, West Indies, in April 1920. He was the son of Jules Mahabir, the first Indo Trinidadian magistrate and Minnie Mahabir, founders of the Minerva Club and patrons of the Minerva Review, an early Indian literary magazine in Trinidad. He was editor of the Spectator and associate editor of the Observer, two Indian literary magazines in Trinidad. He served as Mayor of Port-of-Spain from 1957 to 1960. He was the author of the novel, The Cutlass is Not for killing (1970).

The collection consists mainly of periodicals, including almost complete runs of the Spectator, Observer and Minerva Review and a few issues each of the Indian, Sentinel and Trinidad Presbyterian. It also includes the manuscript of his novel as well as selected essays by Mahabir, reports and monographs and a copy of the Report on the Carnival Riots (1881).

Derek Walcott Collection

Derek Walcott is a St. Lucian poet and dramatist of international repute. He attended The University of the West Indies, Mona, Jamaica and lived for many years in Trinidad and Tobago, where he founded the Trinidad Theatre Workshop. His literary output has won him many outstanding international awards, including the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1992.

The first set of material acquired comprised the illustrations and set drawings for The Joker of Seville. The second installment, a substantial collection (manuscripts of plays, poems, correspondence, scrapbooks, photographs), covers the period when Walcott was based in Trinidad and Tobago and the establishment and activity of the Trinidad Theatre Workshop, as well as much of his poetry and prose up to 1981. The third set of material acquired consists of the manuscripts for the poem Omeros.

The collection at UWI St. Augustine was purchased from Walcott in two tranches. In 1999 the University of Toronto acquired the literary papers relating to Walcott's poetic, theatrical and prose writings from the early 1980s to the mid-1990s.

The Derek Walcott Collection was named to UNESCO's prestigious Memory of the World Register in recognition of its international significance.

Diaries On Military Life

Diaries on Military Life in the Crimea, India and the Caribbean by Colonel John E. Dickson Hill

Hill, following a brief civil appointment at Somerset House in London, joined the army with the 97th Foot in February 1855. He was posted to the Crimea, where he served with distinction, and then went to Calcutta in 1858. Illness forced him to return to England in October 1858; once recovered, he was posted again to India, arriving July 1861. In April 1862, he returned to Calcutta and travelled by steamship to England again. A long period in Britain, broken by a visit to the Continent (including a few ascents in the region of Mont Blanc and Chamonix) and to placements in Dublin, came to an end with a posting to the West Indies (Jamaica) in February 1868. Hill visited Nassau during this time but returned to London in September of the same year. In 1870 Hill transferred to the 63rd Infantry and by November, was back in India, based in Hazaribagh. He returned to London in January 1872, where he remained, with occasional visits to the continent, until March 1877, when he made a second visit to the West Indies (Barbados). He returned to England in November 1878, but in April 1879 was back in Barbados. Hill remained in the West Indies, excepting occasional visits to London, during the period 1880-1890, mainly in Barbados. The diary closes with Hill's return to London in October 1890 and his sojourn there until the last entry for 31st December 1894.

Diary of a Corporal serving in the British army in Port Royal and Kingston, Jamaica 15th February to 24th August 1896

This journal, written by an Army Corporal, provides information about his daily routine, descriptions of a variety of diversions and entertainment from exploratory hunting jaunts to frequent social contact with the Jamaican population.

Diary of Governor Ross

Diary of David Ross, Lieutenant-Governor of Tobago, for the period January to June 1851. The first page of the diary contains a list of books at Government House, Tobago - June 12, 1851. This is followed by a seven-page description of Tobago with information on the following subjects: aspects; soil and rocks; rivers; climate; vegetable products; trees; coffee and tobacco; sugar cane; game; divisions; parishes, estates; and roads. The diary itself begins with an entry on January 1; the last entry is on June 27.

The following is written on the inside cover: D.R. Ross, Dublin, 1879.

David Robert Ross was Lieutenant-Governor of the British colony of Tobago in the West Indies for approximately six months in 1851. He died in an accident when returning to Government House from a ball.

Documents From Stella Gillezeau

Stella Gillezeau was the principal of a Private School in Port of Spain located at 71 Cipriani Boulevard. The documents include a register with the names of students admitted to the school for the period 1954-61, testimonials for some students 1948-1954, postcards and photographs of children, particularly in confirmation wear.

Documents from the St. Joseph Estate, Mayaro, 1873-1890

This collection comprises two sets of documents that were on this estate and were donated by Professor Brinsley Samaroo.

The first set contains Certificates of completion issued to East Indian immigrants. East Indian Immigrants arrived in Trinidad on May 30, 1845, to provide labour on the sugar estates as indentured labourers, including the St. Joseph Estate in Mayaro. This estate was located in south Trinidad. Upon completion of their term of industrial residence, the immigrants were issued certificates of completion. The collection has 11 of these certificates. The certificates were rolled and held in metal canisters. Two other documents included are a receipt for the house and land tax 1882 and a vaccination certificate issued in 1872.

The second series of material includes copies of the document Land Granted by the Spanish Government, 1784-1814. In 1783 the Cedula of Population was proclaimed by the King of Spain, Jose de Galvez, to encourage immigration to Trinidad from the other islands, particularly from the French islands. The edict had several articles, including a grant of land for settling in the island.The documents in this collection are photocopies, but these provide the names of petitioners who requested lands, the location and state of these lands in Trinidad.

Set 1: General abstract of the registry of all grants of land by the Spanish Government of all permissions of occupancy or petitions of grant from the capitulation to the 14th June 1814- The conclusion of Major General Monro's administration of the Government; from the archives in the Office of the Commissary of Population & Acting Surveyor General. As also of the lands occupied under the Spanish Government surveyed by order of the Commiss. of Popul. but without any licence of the Spanish Governor or verification under the 3rd Article of the Royal Cedula. The columns used in Set 1 include: Date of petition, Governor, Name of Petitioner, Land prayed for, Where situated, Conditions which the petition proposes, Proportion granted, Nature of grant, Conditions prescribed, Date of grant, What proportions & nature of cultivation, Abandoned, Never cultivated, Actual proportions.

Set 2: List of lands occupied under the Spanish Government & surveyed by permission of the Spanish Governors according to Form No 2 but of which no grant appears to be made. The columns used in Set 2: Names of Occupants, Date of Petition, Quantity of land, Where situated, By whom land was ordered to be surveyed, Registered, Nature of cultivation, Abandoned, Never cultivated, Actual property.

Set 3: List of petitions presented since the capitulation and lodged in the Office of Commissary of population with the decree thereon according to Form No. 4. The columns used in Set 3 are similar to those for Set 1.

E. Mcdonald Bailey from British Newspapers

Photocopy of a scrapbook containing newspaper clippings highlighting the career of the Trinidad-born sprinter McDonald Bailey. The clippings cover his athletic career over a ten-year period, culminating in his participation in the 1952 Olympics in Helsinki, Finland, where he won a bronze medal as a member of the British team.

The clippings were compiled by Arthur Ashdown of Suffolk in the United Kingdom.

Earl Lewis Memorabilia

Dr. Earl Lewis, born in St. Lucia, was the brother of the late Sir Arthur and Sir Alan Lewis. He studied medicine at Manchester University and later specialized in psychiatry. He joined the staff at St. Ann's Hospital, Trinidad and Tobago in 1943. He was instrumental in starting the Caribbean Federation for Mental Health and became its first president in 1959. During his years of service, he instituted several changes in the area of patient care, legislation, staff training and service. At his death, he was hailed as a leader and pioneer in Caribbean psychiatry.

The collection consists of correspondence with family members and colleagues, notes and memorabilia. They shed light on Dr. Lewis' professional development, his family life and relationships and on the social climate of the time. Included are several letters from his brothers, Sir Arthur and Stanley; from his children, Leonard and Sylvia; and from his wife, Greta, before their marriage.

The collection was amassed by Dr. Earl Lewis. This is evident from the personal nature of the materials and memorabilia (e.g., passports, photographs, travel documents). It was passed on to the Alma Jordan Library from the Medical Sciences Library, The University of the West Indies.

Earl Lovelace Manuscripts

Earl Lovelace, who was born in Toco, Trinidad, in 1935, worked in agriculture as a forest ranger before turning to writing. He is a highly successful writer with several novels, short stories and plays to his credit. He has also served as a writer-in-residence at The University of the West Indies as well as at other institutions in the United States of America and Great Britain.

The collection mainly consists of typed and handwritten notes, drafts and manuscripts of Lovelace's published output - novels, plays and short stories. Manuscripts of the following novels are included:

• The Schoolmaster
• The Dragon Can't Dance
• While Gods are Falling
• The Wine of Astonishment
• Salt

The manuscripts were the property of the author before they were purchased by The University of the West Indies.

Special conditions governing use and reproduction may apply.

Edric and Pearl Connor Papers, 1941-1978

Edric Connor was born in Mayaro, Trinidad in 1913. He emerged as a cultural activist in the early 1940's and migrated to Britain in 1944, where he subsequently became a well-known singer as well as a film and stage actor. His film appearances included: Cry the Beloved Country (1951), Moby Dick (1956) and the Roots of Heaven (1958). He died in London in 1968.

Pearl Connor (also known as Pearl Connor-Mongotsi) was born in Trinidad in 1924. Originally a dancer with Beryl McBurnie, she went to Britain in 1948 to study law and subsequently married Edric Connor. In 1956, she started the Edric Connor Agency to promote actors, dancers, writers and musicians. In 1971, she married Joseph Mogotsi, leader of the South African singing group, The Manhattan Brothers. She died in South Africa in 2005.

The collection comprises documents, correspondence and photographs from both Edric and Pearl Connor. The items from Edric include several drafts of Edric Connor autobiography, photographs, several of which illustrate his film career and many music scores that he possessed. The photographs also depict the evacuation of the northwest peninsula of Chaguaramas in Trinidad which Connor helped organize on behalf of the U.S. Military in the early 1940s. There are also early photographs of the steelband showing the transition from biscuit tins to oil drums.

The Pearl Connor material covers the period 1977-1978 when she was based in Trinidad. It comprises newspaper clippings and correspondence, pamphlets depicting her involvement in various aspects of Trinidad and Tobago culture, her efforts as a cultural activist, her involvement in Carifesta, attempted development of local film industry, and also her work as a columnist with the Trinidad Guardian.

The collection was donated to the Alma Jordan Library University of the West Indies by Geraldine Connor, daughter of Pearl and Edric Connor, in the 1980s.

Edward B. and Maureen Henry cultural collection, 1963-2003

Edward Barrington Henry (1934-1997) was a professional musician with a strong interest in drama. Born in San Fernando, Trinidad, Trinidad and Tobago, he was active in music as a performer, accompanist, teacher and as a member of the San Fernando Drama Guild as well as a founding member of the Recital Club. He adjudicated at the Arts Festivals and steelband competitions in Trinidad and Tobago from the 1960s to the 1990s. He also adjudicated at Music Festivals in the neighbouring islands of Grenada and St. Vincent.

A lover of the arts, Maureen Henry is a former Deputy Campus Librarian at the Alma Jordan Library, The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine. She worked at the Alma Jordan Library from 1963 to 1996. The collection consists mainly of programmes for dramatic and musical performances. Included are programmes for the biennial music festival, choral and solo performances, operas and operettas, The Lydians, Recital Club concerts, National Youth Orchestra, the Trinidad Theatre Workshop, as well as programmes for steelband events. The collection also contains material on the Recital Club, which was formed in 1973 to revive interest in classical music: its constitution, newspaper clippings, minutes and correspondence.

Eric Roach Manuscripts

Eric Roach was born in Tobago in 1915. After a secondary education at Bishop's High School, Tobago, he entered the teaching profession. In 1939, he joined the army in Trinidad and served as a volunteer with the South Caribbean forces during World War II. After a short stint in the Civil Service, he worked as a journalist with the Trinidad Guardian and The Nation. At the age of 39, he turned his attention to writing and produced many short stories, poems, plays, articles, and a radio serial. He published poems using the pseudonym Merton Maloney. He was also a regular contributor to the BBC Caribbean Voices programme. He died in 1974.

The collection contains manuscript copies of plays, journal articles, poems, radio programmes, notes and an unpublished novel.

Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex: Construction Records

The collection is comprised of documents and photographs on the construction of the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex, including correspondence, Trinidad and Tobago Cabinet minutes, notes from the Mt. Hope Medical Complex Task Force and the Ministerial Review Committee assigned to monitor the project, and documents about SODETEG, the construction company that worked on the project. There are a few items on other health facilities in Trinidad and Tobago, particularly the San Fernando Hospital. The bulk of the papers are for the period 1982-1984.

The papers were originally held at the Faculty of Medical Sciences, Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex and were to the Alma Jordan Library, University of the West Indies, St. Augustine Campus in 2010.

Eric Williams Memorial Collection

The Eric Williams Memorial Collection (EWMC) contains the books, papers and memorabilia of the late Dr. Eric Williams, eminent historian and Chief Minister/Premier/Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, 1956-1981. The collection was placed on deposit at the Alma Jordan Library, The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago, in March 1989. It was formally declared open on March 22, 1998.

The books and journals together number approximately 7,000 items and cover a wide range of disciplines: Philosophy, Religion, History, Economics, Politics, Education, Music and Art. The emphasis is on the area of History.

The papers consist mainly of correspondence, manuscripts of both published and unpublished works, research notes, conference documents and a miscellany of reports. They give an insight into the intellectual at work: as Student, Teacher, International Civil Servant, Scholar and Prime Minister. Publications relating to the birth of the People's National Movement are also included.

A permanent exhibition complements the books and papers. It includes photographs, extracts of speeches and memorabilia depicting various aspects of Dr. Williams' life and his contribution to the development of Trinidad and Tobago. The exhibition is mounted around the following themes; the early years, family man, scholarship, international statesman, education, housing, a vision for the future, social contact and the end of an era. A re-creation of Dr. Williams' study forms an integral part of the exhibition.

The Eric Williams Memorial Collection (EWMC) was named to UNESCO's prestigious Memory of the World Register in recognition of its international significance.

The database for the Eric Williams Memorial Collection is available here.

View The University of the West Indies Eric Williams Memorial Collection website: click here

View The University of Florida Eric Williams website: http://palmm.fcla.edu/eew/

Esperance Sporting Club Papers, 1952-1954

The Esperance Sporting Club was established on 16th December 1952 in Esperance Village, South Trinidad, Trinidad and Tobago. The Club participated in the sport of cricket.

The collection contains typescripts of administrative documents from the early history of the Esperance Sporting Club over the period 1952-1954. Included are letters, cricket team schedules, players' lists and correspondence with the South Naparima Cultural & Sports Association. The papers focus primarily on the Clubs' activities in the local cricket leagues and invitational matches. Among the correspondences is a letter dated 5th January 1953 to Mr. Sonny Ramadhin, former West Indies cricketer who also came from the Esperance community.

The items were received as a gift on the occasion of the inaugural Sonny Ramadhin Lecture Series held at The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago in 2004.

The original order of the papers has been maintained. The items are in 1 folder arranged chronologically.

Essequebo Plantation Estate: Manuscript Documents and Other Papers, 1803-1808

The collection contains 13 manuscripts and two additional documents all relating to the bankruptcy sale of slaves and the plantation known as Maria's Pleasure on Wakenaam Island, Guyana.

Eustace Bernard Photograph Collection

Francis Eustace Bernard was born on April 20, 1914, in Mason Hall, Tobago. He joined the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service in 1934 and in 1970, became the first Police Commissioner of Trinidad and Tobago to have risen to the position through the ranks. He served in the capacity from 1970 to 1974. He became an attorney-at-law and was called to the Bar in 1970.

The collection consists of photographs of the Trinidad and Tobago Police Force and state visits by Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh and Emperor Haile Selassie in 1966. It also features several prominent personalities in Trinidad and Tobago.

The collection was donated to The University of the West Indies by Mr. Bernard.

Fitzroy Baptiste Thesis Materials

Fitzroy Andre Baptiste was a Senior Lecturer at the Department of History, The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago.

The papers deal with a variety of themes related to the mid twentieth-century Caribbean: the leased bases in the British transatlantic possessions; anti-submarine activities; Dutch protection of Curaçao and Aruba during World War II; defence and military collaboration in the Caribbean.

The materials were gathered by Dr. Baptiste from several archives and repositories in the course of research for his doctoral thesis.

Florrie and Kenneth Kelshall Papers

Florrie Kelshall was born Floris Jessica Taylor on 3rd January 1916 in Barbados. After graduating from medical school as a qualified Optometrist, she came to Trinidad 1939, just before the outbreak of World War II. The following year, she joined the Ventures Hockey Club. Florrie married Kenneth Kelshall in 1944 and subsequently had three daughters, Joy, Kim and Kay. She represented Trinidad and Tobago at hockey tournaments in 1946, 1947 and was a player/manageress of the 1953 team in British Guyana and manageress of the 1962 team to Boston. She also served as Secretary and President of the Trinidad and Tobago Women’s Hockey Administration in 1946 and 1955 – 62 respectively. She was inducted as an Honorary Life Member of both the Ventures Hockey Club, of which she was president for 17 years, and the now defunct Trinidad and Tobago Women’s Hockey Administration.

Apart from her hockey activities, she also played Badminton and Bridge at the National Level, representing Trinidad and Tobago and she was a member of the St Clair Tennis Club. Florrie also played Santa Claus alongside persons such as Machel Montano every year for needy children and holds the unofficial record as the oldest woman to have played Santa Claus in Trinidad and Tobago to date. She was also one of two women on the prestigious Stadium committee in 1956.

Kelshall was a recipient of the Hummingbird Medal Silver for her work in hockey as both a player and administrator in 1983 and was also inducted into the then WITCO (now called the First Citizens Sports Foundation) Sports Hall of Fame in 1985. In 2002 the Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee nominated her for the International Olympic Committee’s “Women and Sport” Trophy which she won and in 2015, she was honoured by standing ovation for her tireless contribution to the sport, both as a player and administrator.

Kenneth Kelshall was born in San Fernando, Trinidad, on November 29, 1914. He was the youngest son of the Honourable T.M. Kelshall, Member for County Victoria in the Legislative Council and his wife Jessie. He attended the Naparima Boys’ College and later became a student teacher who taught the former President of Trinidad and Tobago, the late Noor Hassanali.

Kelshall was a Scout Leader for many years, first with the Sixth Naparima troop and later, when he moved to Port of Spain for work, with the Fifth Port of Spain Troop. At the start of World War II, Kelshall was already a precepted Rural Constable; he joined the Special Reserve Police as an officer and was able to combine his police work and scouting to achieve a remarkable product. In the Civil Service, he eventually rose to the position of Director of Contracts and then Head of the Tenders Board. After his retirement, he was appointed Chairman of the National Lotteries Board by the then Prime minister, George Chambers. He was also an avid sportsman who was interested in tennis but loved cricket as he was the captain of three cricket teams at one time. Kenneth Kelshall was awarded the Medal of Merit of the Order of the Trinity for service to Trinidad and Tobago in 1983 with his wife Florrie, who was also a medal recipient. He was also a recipient of the Boy Scout Medal of Merit. Kenneth Kelshall died on March 9, 2001, ending 57 years of marriage.

The collection comprises scrapbooks, photographs, newspaper clippings and documents from both Florrie and Kenneth Kelshall. The items from Kenneth are mainly that documents his time with both the Naparima and Port of Spain Scout Troops and his time as a Special Reserve Officer from 1942 – 1963. Florrie’s collection comprises two scrapbooks that trace her life and sporting career. These span the years 1943 – 1998. Other records in her collection are photographs, correspondence and newspaper clippings that start at 1939 and end in 2015.

Frank Dowdy Correspondence and Papers

Frank Dowdy, an economist by profession, worked with the Caribbean Commission 1953-1959, and subsequently in the Economic Planning Division of the office of the Prime Minister of the West Indies Federation in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad. He also lectured in economics for the Extra Mural Department of UWI.

The letters, though relatively few in number, shed light on a wide range of issues. Among the most interesting items are several that refer to the short-lived Federation of the West Indies. Among the other papers is a site plan of the Government Offices and proposed Legislative Council for the island of Dominica, dated August 1961.

The materials were amassed by Frank Dowdy and were passed on to The University of the West Indies Library.

Frederick De Verteuil Papers

Frederick Joseph De Verteuil was born in Trinidad in 1887. He lived with his maternal grandparents in Port of Spain, attended St. Mary's College and went to England at the age of fourteen in 1901 and later qualified as a lawyer at Gray's Inn. He practised as a barrister in India for several years and later returned to England, where he continued practising law until he was debarred from practice due to misrepresenting his clients in court. He then became a little known writer of novels and short stories, historical works and semi-scientific commentaries. He wrote under three different pseudonyms: John Dellbridge, Freddy Bannister and Francis Vere.

The papers consist of manuscripts, correspondence, photocopies and other family memorabilia.

The materials were collected by Sita Ramoutar, a postgraduate student researching the writings of Frederick De Verteuil and made available to the library.

Garnett Ifill Photograph Collection

Garnett Ifill, an artist and photographer, was born February 8, 1935 in San Fernando, Trinidad, where he lived all his life except for a brief period when his father went to work at Brechin Castle, Couva, where he worked on the estate as a turner. He qualified as a professional photographer in Los Angeles in 1963 and practices his art in Trinidad and Tobago. He is interested in all aspects of photography - choice of subjects, the camera, the film, the darkroom, the processing. He has been described as "the complete photographer: chemist, scientist, engineer, competent craftsman and philosopher."

The collection consists of over one hundred (100) photographs dealing with Dr. Eric Williams, Founder of the People's National Movement and Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago during the period 1956 to 1977.

It includes photographs of the many activities in which Dr. Williams participated during his tenure in the government of Trinidad and Tobago. The photographs cover, inter alia, election campaigns, meetings with local and foreign dignitaries, state visits (e.g., with Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh, Dr. Kenneth Kaunda and Mrs. Indira Ghandi) and visits to schools.

The photographer, Garnet Ifill, sold the bulk of this collection to The University of the West Indies in September 2000. A few items were also donated by Mr. Ifill.

Gaskynd Granger Papers

Gaskynd Granger was born in Guyana and later settled in Trinidad and Tobago. In the 1930s, he became a member of the Negro Welfare Cultural and Social Association. He was one of the founders of the Public Works and Public Service Workers Trade Union that was formed in 1937 and served as a member of the Union's executive. He was also a member of the National Union of Government Employees (NUGE). He was active in Tobago as a member of the Tobago Peasants and Industrial Workers Union which was founded by A.P.T. James in 1946.

The collection includes a miscellany of documents: acts, booklets, bulletins, correspondence, financial statements, handwritten minutes, invitations, memos, miscellaneous forms, newspaper clippings, reports.

Mr. Granger gave the papers to Dr. Susan Craig-James, formerly Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Social Sciences, The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, who donated them to the Library in 1993.

George James Christian Papers

George James Christian was born in Dominica in the 19th century. He migrated to the Gold Coast, where he developed a distinguished career as a lawyer. The papers highlight his career as well as his relationships with his family and other West Indians in the Gold Coast.

Grenada Plantation Reconveyance of Mortgage Document

Mortgage document dated 31 March 1774 between Charles Sloane Cadogan (of Whitehall, Westminster) on the one hand and four British subjects on the other: Sir Robert Cockburn Bt., Sir George Colebrooke Bt., John Stewart and John Nelson. The agreement is for a loan of £20,500 to purchase from Andrew Davoran a 320-acre estate in St. George's parish, Grenada, West Indies. The document includes the names of about fifty slaves (first-name only) as well as other possessions and equipment on the plantation. Three of the slaves are identified by their particular roles on the plantation, e.g. boiler. Seals of all the parties are to be found at the bottom of the document along with their signatures, while the names of witnesses to the agreement are at the back. The document is encased in a green leather wallet, presumably from the early twentieth century, with 'The Poor Slave' inscribed on the front.

The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, bought this mortgage document in 2003 from Jill McMillan in Scotland who had inherited it from her father. He had previously acquired the document from a local historian in Scotland.

H. Dudley Huggins

Dudley Huggins had a long association with The University of the West Indies. He was Director of the Institute of Social and Economic Research, Mona, Jamaica from 1948-1963, and Principal of the St. Augustine Campus from 1963 until his retirement in 1969. The collection includes a miscellany of information: programmes of university ceremonies; newspaper clippings; pamphlets on chemicals and the aluminium industry; speeches by Huggins; pamphlets relating to The University of the West Indies. The collection was amassed by Dudley Huggins during his tenure in office as Principal of The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine.

Henri Telfer Sketches

Henri Everest Telfer was born on 8th December 1927 and passed away on 8th January 1999. He was a designer and graphic artist who produced logos, insignia, illustrations, costume and set designs. Among the corporate logos in Trinidad and Tobago credited to him are the former Trinidad Telephone Company (TELCO), National Carnival Commission, Caribbean School of Dancing, Carifesta VI and the Central Bank of Trinidad and Tobago. He was a member of the Trinidad Art Society and participated in the Society's first exhibition in 1944. In 1951 he graduated from the School of Art and Design in Montreal. Henri Telfer was also a Christian Lay-Minister. The collection comprises 13 sketches in charcoal, ink and pen. It was purchased from the 101 Gallery in 2009. The sketches retain the numbers assigned to them by the Gallery. The sketches are

• 37. Goodness gracious
• 38. Eye, eye, eye
• 39. JeT'Aime
• 63. Well rounded
• 66. Sharp eyes
• 67. Pensive
• 83. PJs
• 84. Diet of sadness
• 85. Satisfied worker
• 86. Head to toes
• 87. Bliss
• 88. Infanta
• 99. Beauty of lines

Historical Notes on the Jews in Trinidad

Hans John Stecher and his family were among the Jews who arrived in Trinidad as refugees from Vienna after the occupation of Austria by Germany in 1938. These personal accounts, written in the 1930s, look back to the period of Jewish presence in Trinidad from about 1932 to the early war years and the Jewish emigration as a result of the annexation of Austria by the Nazis. They were written for the purpose of making a record of these earlier years of the Jewish Community in Trinidad and Tobago. A list of names or families extant when the account by Mrs. Yufe was written is detailed in the correspondence.

Mr. Hans John Stecher made copies available to Ursula Raymond, a retired librarian. She donated them to The University of the West Indies.

Hochoy Papers

Solomon Hochoy was born in Jamaica on April 20, 1905 and arrived in Trinidad as an infant. On February 3, 1935, he married Thelma Edna Huggins who was born September 17, 1910 in St. Madeline, Trinidad. He joined the civil service in 1927 as a tally clerk in the Coastal Steamers Department and rose through the ranks, working in various departments, serving as Labour Officer, Deputy Industrial Advisor and Law Commissioner before becoming Colonial Secretary in 1956. He was knighted in 1960 and became the first local Governor of Trinidad and Tobago, and later, Governor-General from 1962-1972. He died on November 15, 1983.

The collection includes documents concerning Sir Solomon Hochoy as Governor from 1960, then as Governor-General from 1962, including his Warrants of Appointments and correspondence with Buckingham Palace and, to a limited extent, with Dr. Eric Williams. Also included are documents relating to Lady Hochoy's extensive involvement with social work/social welfare, including her fundraising activities on behalf of the Lady Hochoy Home and other institutions. Lady Hochoy's niece, Cora, and her husband, Desmond Lee Lum, gave the papers to Fr. Ronald Mendes, Principal of St. Mary's College in Port of Spain who, in turn, gave them to the Alma Jordan Library in 2002.

ICTA Collection

The ICTA Collection includes two separately housed collections. The first is referred to as the ICTA Miscellany and the second ICTA Documents.

The Imperial College of Tropical Agriculture (ICTA), the forerunner to The University of the West Indies, was established in 1921 in Trinidad and Tobago. In 1960 it was incorporated into the Faculty of Agriculture of the St. Augustine Campus of The University of the West Indies.

The folder ICTA Miscellany contains typescripts and manuscripts of calypso lyrics, a romantic melodrama in one act, text for Radio ICTA and other anecdotal items relating to staff/students of ICTA.

ICTA Documents cover the establishment of ICTA, physical plans of buildings and minutes of the Academic Board from 1923.

Related Collection: ICTA Photographs

Illustrations from Monkey Liver Soup

Eaulin Blondel, a retired librarian, documented some of the folklore of Trinidad and Tobago.

These are the first set of illustrations that were done for the book Monkey Liver Soup before it was printed. The agouti was represented as a young lion cub and the author requested that this be corrected. The book appeared without the illustration.

The illustrations were the property of the author of the book for which they were intended.

Indo Caribbean Popular Culture

The collection contains ephemera about the culture of Indians in the Caribbean and in particular, Trinidad and Tobago. There are posters, wedding invitations, newsletters and flyers.

Irma Goldstraw Collection

The Irma Goldstraw Collection contains valuable resources on the activities of the artists, playwrights, and other members of the artistic community in Trinidad and Tobago. It includes items such as exhibition catalogues, theatre programmes, prints, and audio recordings by Derek Walcott.

The collection was donated to the Alma Jordan Library, University of the West Indies, over the period 2003-2008 by Mrs. Irma Goldstraw, a former librarian who worked at this library. Mrs. Goldstraw has been a long-standing friend of Derek Walcott, and her husband Lawrence Goldstraw also performed in several of Walcott's productions.

The papers have been arranged into the following series: Recipes and dining; Manuscripts; Pamphlets; Exhibition Catalogues; Programmes for Plays and other Productions; Carlisle Chang; Alfred Codallo; Beryl Mc Burnie; Documents on Citizen for Conservation; Newspaper clippings; Carnival Messiah; Guyana; Cultural Activities; Posters and Prints (which includes large posters of Walcott’s productions with the Trinidad Theatre Workshop); and Audio recordings. An in-house inventory of this collection is available to users.

Isaiah James Boodhoo Papers

Isaiah James Boodhoo was one of Trinidad and Tobago's leading artists. The papers relate largely to Boodhoo's professional activities as Curriculum Supervisor for Art in the Ministry of Education, Trinidad and Tobago, and Chief Examiner of Art and Craft, Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC). The collection contains mainly typescripts, handwritten notes and printed materials. Included are drafts of lesson plans. The collection was donated to The University of the West Indies in 2005 by Mr. Kenwyn Crichlow, lecturer at the university's Centre for Creative and Festival Arts.

Ivan Wilson Papers

Ivan Wilson worked as a proofreader for Caribbean Quarterly with the Extra Mural Department of the then University College of the West Indies, as a solicitor's clerk, and later became a certified Public Health Inspector and Inspector of Meat and other foods. He also wrote for the Trinidad Guardian, Evening News and Teachers Journal. He migrated to England in 1953.

The small collection of papers consists of typescript copies of letters of recommendation and a photograph of Ivan Wilson. The most significant item is a typescript copy of a paper entitled "A Paper on Immigration and Integration (a brief survey); Retrospect and Prospect, 1969, 10p; Addendum 3p. This paper had been submitted to the Select Committee on Race Relations and Immigration.

The papers were kept by Ivan Wilson and it was his desire that they "should end up in the Research Section" of The University of the West Indies.

J. Hamilton Maurice Papers

The son of a teacher, Julius Hamilton Maurice was born in the south of Trinidad in the late 1890s. Deciding on a career in education, he established the Southern Grammar School. In 1913, he took up a teaching appointment at Naparima College, staying there for the next thirteen years. After leaving Naparima, he served as a lecturer at the Government Teachers' Training College, then as Director of Education in Dominica in 1947. After his return to Trinidad and Tobago, he was appointed Chairman of a government-appointed committee to examine education in Trinidad and Tobago. The report of the Committee is known as the Maurice Report - a remarkable analysis of the education system in Trinidad and Tobago. He served as President of the Senate, 1961-1971. In 1971 he was named a member of the Constitution Commission chaired by Sir Hugh Wooding. He received an honorary degree from The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, in 1976. He died on July 23. 1988.

The collection consists of material gathered in his capacity as President of the Senate. Included are several pieces of legislation from Trinidad and Tobago. Also included are documents relating to the Constitution Commission of Trinidad and Tobago.

James O'Neil Lewis Papers

J. "Scottie" O'Neil Lewis was born in Trinidad on 4th August 1919. He passed away in 2010. He was married to Jeanne nee Winter and fathered six children. He attended the Richmond Boys E.C. School and later went to the Queen's Royal College for his secondary education. He pursued tertiary education at the London University and Oxford University, where he got Bachelors of Commerce and Letters respectively. In 1980 he gained a doctorate from the University of Amsterdam. Dr. O'Neil Lewis started his professional career as a journalist with the Trinidad Guardian until 1950 when he migrated to England to pursue his studies. Upon his return to Trinidad and Tobago, he worked with the government service in various positions. It is to be noted that he was a member of the Trinidad and Tobago delegation which went to England at the Marlborough House meeting to seek independence for the nation. He served as Ambassador to Belgium and the European Economic Commission 1973-1983 and Ambassador to the United States of America 1983-1987. He worked along with many national and regional agencies notably the Organization of American States, CARICOM, and in Trinidad and Tobago, the Integrity Commission, National Service Committee, 1990 Detention Review Tribunal for the coup detainees, Airports Authority, and the Industrial Court. He received an honorary doctorate from The University of the West Indies in 1997.

The collection which contains correspondence, documents, manuscripts and photographs, it highlights various aspects of his career as a diplomat and public servant to Trinidad and Tobago. Dr. O'Neil Lewis took the opportunity to comment on many aspects of Trinidad and Tobago society, inclusive of the constitution. Manuscripts for many of these are available in the papers.

The collection was in the possession of the family and was donated to the Alma Jordan Library in 2003.

Jean Sue Wing Papers

Jean Sue Wing, née Herbert, was the officer in charge of drama at the Ministry of Education and Culture in Trinidad and Tobago from 1961 to 1982. She was, as well, an actress, director and adjudicator in the Trinidad and Tobago Arts Festival. She also taught drama to schools, teachers and groups.

The collection consists of programmes, invitations, posters and photocopies of newspaper articles.

Journal de Bord de Hippolyte Joseph Vial, Capitone de Fregate

The ship-log documents the journey of Joseph Vial in 1904. Among the ports he visited were: Port of Spain, Trinidad and Fort de France, Martinique. It includes 1 photograph and 25 illustrations, some of which are maps. The logbook is written in French.

Joycelynne Loncke Music Scores

The collection consists primarily of steelband music scores written for festivals and carnival competitions in Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, St. Vincent, Grenada and Antigua. Also included are scores for hymns for a Caribbean mass. The material covers the period 1952-1992.

Joycelynne Loncke, a Guyanese pianist and lecturer at the University of Guyana, was the coordinator of the Caribbean Intercultural Music Institute (CIMI), which was housed at the Creative Arts Centre of The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine.

June Dolly-Besson Papers

June Dolly-Besson joined the staff of The University of the West Indies, Mona, Jamaica, in 1961 and was Senior Lecturer in the Department of Sociology and Social Work, and Warden of Mary Seacole Hall at the time of her death in 1986. She made a significant contribution to the field of social work.

The collection consists of conference papers, correspondence, lecture notes, pamphlets and reports. The major item is a Proposal for the Development of a Department of Social Work at the St. Augustine campus. The Department of Social Work was established at The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad in 1990.

Kamaluddin Mohammed Papers

Kamaluddin “Kamal” Mohammed was born on 19th April 1927 in San Juan, Trinidad. He is one of 13 children sired by his parents, Fazal and Khajiman Mohammed. He lived in Princes Town and San Fernando for a short while where he worked as a labourer and a clerk, respectively. After his return to San Juan, he hosted an East Indian cultural show on Radio Trinidad, “Indian Talent on Parade” also referred to as “Sunday Indian Entertainment Hour”, which was first broadcasted on 9th September 1947.

Mr. Mohammed then entered the realm of politics and was elected County Councillor in 1953. He served on the Legislative Council of Trinidad and Tobago 1956-61, and in the House of Representatives of Trinidad and Tobago 1962-1986. He is a founding member of the People’s National Movement, and held several Ministerial portfolios including the Minister of Agriculture, Minister of Public Utilities, Minster of West Indian Affairs, Minister of Health and Minister of Local Government. He was appointed Caricom Ambassador in January 2000. Mr. Mohammed chaired the World Health Organization and was also instrumental in championing the cause for Caribbean free trade through the organization, CARIFTA.

He is the recipient of a Doctor of Letters honoris causa from The University of the West Indies; the highest national award of Trinidad and Tobago, The Order of Trinidad and Tobago; and the Order of the Caribbean Community. The Kamaluddin Mohammed papers contain the documents emanating from his political life from the 1940s to 2003 and, in particular his Ministerial appointments and service as Caricom Ambassador. There are smaller series of material that highlight his involvement with the Muslim community in Trinidad and Tobago and some of his cultural activities.

Kathleen "Aunty Kay" Warner Memorabilia

Kathleen Warner, née Davis, popularly known in Trinidad and Tobago as "Aunty Kay", was a very talented woman. In the course of her life, she was a medical student, pianist, singer, actress, dancer, salesperson, teacher. She also served briefly as an alderman of the Port of Spain City Council, and gave lessons in music and elocution. She was best known as the host of the popular radio programme, Auntie Kay's Children's Hour, which was aired for 43 years, from 1942 to 1985. Many of Trinidad and Tobago's performers made their debut on that programme. She died in December 1996 at the age of 93.

The collection contains a miscellany of information: correspondence, including letters of appreciation; newspaper clippings on a variety of themes; local magazines; plaques and awards given to Aunty Kay; photographs; music/songbooks.

The collection was amassed by Aunty Kay and came into the possession of Ena Eastman, at whose home she spent her last years. Miss Eastman donated them to The University of the West Indies Library.

View photographs from her collection.

Leaves from a Masonic Library

"Leaves from a Masonic Library" or "Freemasonry Reviewed" is a manuscript that describes the history, ceremony and rituals of the freemasons. The authors of the work remain anonymous.

The manuscript is dated circa 1920 because of bibliographic references made within the document to publications of that period. The work is divided into four volumes, with each volume having several parts. There are twenty volumes constituting the entire work.

The documents were previously lodged with the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago until these were donated to the Alma Jordan Library, University of the West Indies, St. Augustine Campus in 2009.

Lise Winer Papers

Lise Winer, Canadian and Professor at McGill University, received her doctorate in linguistics from the University of the West Indies, St. Augustine Campus. She has researched and published extensively on languages in the Caribbean and is an outstanding lexicographer. Among her publications is the seminal work Dictionary of English/Creole of Trinidad and Tobago. The collection contains material accumulated by Professor Lise Winer for her research on languages in the Caribbean. It also contains much of the research collected for her publication of the Dictionary of the English/Creole of Trinidad & Tobago.

Lloyd Braithwaite Papers

Sociologist and University Principal Lloyd Ewen Braithwaite was born in Belmont, Trinidad on July 16, 1919. In the late 1930s and early 1940s he took an active interest in radical politics. He supported trade unions; was involved in the Negro Welfare Cultural and Social Association (NWCSA); was among the founders of the journal New Dawn, an organ for the dissemination of "progressive" views; was a member of the Why Not Group, a forum for discussing social problems in the society; and in 1942, was a foundation member of the People's Party. In 1944, he qualified as a solicitor, but instead of pursuing a career in the legal profession, he joined the Civil Service, working in the Social Welfare Department. In 1946 he entered the London School of Economics to pursue an undergraduate degree in sociology. In 1950, he abandoned postgraduate studies to take up a research fellowship at the Institute of Social and Economic Research of the newly created University College of the West Indies, Mona, Jamaica. His "Social Stratification in Trinidad" (1953), published in the journal Social and Economic Studies, placed him among the founders of Caribbean sociology. In 1965 he became Professor of Sociology and, four years later, he was appointed Principal and Pro-Vice Chancellor of the St. Augustine Campus of The University of the West Indies (1969-1984). He died on January 10, 1995.

Lopinot Family Papers, 1697-1998

Photocopies of original documents relative to the history of the family of Charles Joseph, Compte de Lopinot. This collection is accompanied by a brief account of the Lopinot family by Jerome F. Lopinot.

Charles Joseph Lopinot, sugar and cocoa planter, was born in 1738 and arrived in Trinidad in 1800 from St. Domingue. He was appointed Brigadier-General in the Trinidad Militia and in 1813 was also appointed to the Council of Advice. He later settled in one of the valleys of the Northern Range where, today, the village bears his name. He died in 1819.

Donated by Professor K.O. Laurence, Chairman of the Archeological Committee of the Department of History, The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine. Professor Laurence had received the documents from Dr. Neal H. Lopinot, a descendant of Charles Joseph, Compte de Lopinot.

Lord Pretender Memorabilia

A collection containing eight photographs and three certificates. Among the latter are two national awards given to Lord Pretender by the government of Trinidad and Tobago in 1972 and 1994, respectively. The photographs show Lord Pretender in various settings: performing at a calypso tent; receiving his first national award from Governor-General Sir Solomon Hochoy; greeting the American boxer, Muhammed Ali; and standing with fellow calypsonians, Sparrow and Kitchener.

Lord Pretender (Alric Farrell), noted calypsonian from Trinidad and Tobago, was born in 1917. He began performing at the age of twelve and his career lasted for seventy-two years. In 1957, he won the calypso monarch competition. Lord Pretender was a master of the extempo' form of calypso in which the singer spontaneously composes a calypso. He died in 2002.

These items belonged to Lord Pretender.

Lystra Lewis Papers

Lystra Lewis was born in Woodbrook, Trinidad and Tobago in 1924. She attended Tranquility Girls School and later went to England through a British Council scholarship to study Physical Education at Bedford College. Early in her life, she participated in many sporting activities and selected netball as her sport of choice. Although she started her involvement in the game as a player, she excelled as a coach, umpire, tester and administrator. She served at all levels of the administration for the game, including President of West Indies Netball Board, President of the Caribbean Netball Association, President of the Americas Federation of Netball Associations, and Vice President of the International Federation of Netball Associations.

She has been credited with many firsts in the netball fraternity in Trinidad and Tobago and the region. Some highlights of her career include:

• 1939 Founding Member of the Port of Spain Netball league
• 1949 Founding Member of the Trinidad and Tobago Netball Association
• 1954 Founding member of the West Indies Netball Board, the forerunner to the Caribbean Netball Association
• 1960 Caribbean representative at the Ceylon conference which agreed to the formation of the International Federation of Women's Basketball and Netball Association and an International Code of Rules for Netball.
• 1960 First West Indian to receive the All England Panel Award for Umpiring
• 1961 First Government Netball Coach
• 1969 Recipient of the Medal of Merit for Sport (Netball) at the First Trinidad and Tobago National Awards.
• 1974 Founding Member of the Caribbean Netball Association
• 1979 Coached the Trinidad and Tobago team to victory at the World Netball Championships hosted in Trinidad and Tobago. This was the first country to host and win the championships.

The collection was donated by Dr. Iva Gloudon and Ms. Enid Browne to the Alma Jordan Library in 2010. The materials were in possession of Ms. Lystra Lewis until her passing on July 4, 2009. The collection showcases her involvement at all levels of sport administration locally and internationally. It is arranged into eighteen series reflecting primarily these activities: Biographies, Correspondence, Financial matters, CARIFESTA V & Other Cultural Activities Conferences and workshops, Men's Federation of Netball, Trinidad and Tobago netball and other sports, Netball Tournaments, Sport Constitutions and Netball Rules, Caribbean Netball Association, Americas Federation of Netball Associations, International Federation of Netball Association, Umpiring and Testing, Newspaper Clippings, Scrapbooks, Photographs and Videos. A small collection of books accompany these papers.

While researchers may consult the papers an embargo has been placed on the copying of photographs and letters from the papers.

Martin Adamson Papers

Alastair Martin Adamson was born in Scotland in 1901 and trained in zoology at the University of St. Andrews. On completion of his studies, he was appointed Assistant in Zoology to Professor D'Arcy Wentworth Thompson at St. Andrews and they developed a lifelong friendship. In 1933 he was appointed Senior Lecturer and Head of the Department of Entomology of the Imperial College of Tropical Agriculture (ICTA), St. Augustine, Trinidad. While on staff at ICTA he obtained his Ph.D. Degree from the University of California and was promoted to the rank of Professor. He served on the staff of ICTA until his death in 1945.

The collection consists of mainly letters from Adamson to Thompson. In a few instances, there are replies from Thompson and from institutions with which Adamson was in contact. Four of Adamson's publications and two photographs are included.

The collection is part of the D'Arcy Wentworth Thompson Collection held at the University of St. Andrews Library, from which the University of the West Indies bought the photocopies.

Martina Thompson's CLR James Papers

This collection was acquired from Mrs. Martina Thompson, long time associate of CLR James. The collection contains correspondence, copies of James' newspaper We the people and other material. As per the legal agreement, the correspondence between James and Thompson are closed to all researchers.

Max Beverly Ifill Papers

Max Beverly Ifill was born in Arouca on 24th September 1920 to Joseph Irving Ifill and Florencia Aletia Braithwaite. He spent his early childhood years in New Grant (5 miles east of Princes Town) and then moved to Port of Spain. He attended Tranquility Boys School and also taught there from 1937 – 1951. He won a scholarship for the London School of Economics and then attended the University of Oxford, where he studied Agricultural Economics.

He worked in the Colonial Secretary's Office as an Administrative Cadet from the time of Eric Williams' appointment as Chief Minister in Trinidad and Tobago. He left the Civil service in 1959 and worked briefly with the Trinidad Manufacturer's Association. From 1961-1965, he became heavily involved in Trade Union activities, advising and writing articles. He was a member of the Industrial Development Corporation and Trade Union's Congress, Union of Commercial and Industrial Workers, and the Oilfield Workers' Trade Union. He was employed with the Caribbean Congress of Labour and, as such represented Eric Gairy in Grenada between 1964 and 1965. In 1968 he left Trinidad and Tobago to work with the United Nations in Tanzania, Nigeria and the Caribbean and for the Canadian Federal Government in Ottawa. He was UN/ECLAC's Regional Economic Adviser for the Caribbean for more than four years when he retired in 1980.

He lectured in History, Economics, Economic History and Politics at the Trinidad Polytechnic and the Extra-Mural Department of the University of the West Indies. He is the author of many pamphlets on the African Diaspora and spoke on numerous occasions about the development problems which confronted Trinidad and Tobago and the Caribbean. He stated that his main concern was "the urgent need for society to adopt a more spatial approach to development, to establish socio-economic goals which would avoid the polarization of income distribution in the society, and to develop a political system which would permit meaningful participation of the citizenry."

Max Ifill was also active in politics and was briefly involved in 1966 with the Workers and Farmers Party, which was founded by C.L.R. James, Stephen Maharaj and George Weekes.

He passed away on 17th October 2002 at the age of 82 years.

The papers were donated to the Alma Jordan Library by his daughter Ms. Julie Ifill in 2009. These cover the period 1957-2002 and comprise manuscripts, pamphlets and correspondence. The papers are arranged into six series reflecting his various activities. The series are Subject Files A-Z, Trade Unionism, United Nations Regional Planning Projects, Economic and Business Research Information and Advisory Service, United Nations Projects: Publications, and Publications. A finding aid is available to researchers.

Related Sources: OP. 25. Interview with Max Ifill by Margaret Rouse Jones. 29 September 1988. OPReP. Alma Jordan Library, The University of the West Indies.

Michael Anthony Papers

Michael Anthony, novelist and historian, was born in Mayaro, Trinidad and Tobago in 1930. He worked in a foundry at the Pointe-a-Pierre oil refinery and later migrated to England in 1954. While in England, he wrote and published his first novel, "The Games Were Coming", and also had his first short story broadcasted on BBC's Caribbean Voices. In 1968 Anthony went to Brazil where he spent two years before returning to Trinidad and Tobago.

The collection spans the period 1970-2003 and contains correspondence, typed manuscripts, and handwritten notes for novels, radio programmes and historical publications about Trinidad and Tobago.

The University of the West Indies purchased the collection from Michael Anthony in 2004.

The collection is organized into two main series of correspondence and manuscripts. An inventory of the collection which provides folder level control is available in the library.

Michael Goldberg Collection

A dentist since 1972, Dr. Michael Goldberg migrated to Trinidad from the United States in 1998. He has worked as a dentist with the non-governmental organization, Servol, at its Forres Park Life Centre in south Trinidad.

The collection spans the period 1872-1995 and highlights the scenes, social life and customs of Trinidad and Tobago. It contains mainly albums of postcards from Trinidad and Tobago along with some souvenir booklets, photographs and glass lantern slides. Many of these postcards contain messages and are postmarked. There are also a few postcards from Belize. Researchers browsing this collection would be able to see images of the early East Indian migrants to Trinidad; the architecture including government buildings, homes, schools, churches and temples.

This collection is a result of an accumulation put together by Dr. Goldberg over a ten-year period while residing in Upstate New York in the United States. It has been arranged according to the subject of the material.

Mike Watson Collection

Mike Watson, stained-glass artist, learned his craft as an apprentice at a stained glass factory in Hertfordshire, England. His stained-glass work can be seen at a number of churches and other buildings throughout Trinidad and Tobago. These include San Rafael Church; Santa Rosa RC Church, Arima; St. Margaret’s EC Church, Belmont; Holy Rosary RC Church; All Saints EC Church; Rhand Credit Union; First Citizen's Bank (Temple Court). Mike Watson also made jewellery.

The collection consists of folders and binders, each covering the artist's history of, and work with, each institution's stained-glass work. The narratives, which detail damage reports, proposals for restoration work, artist designs and execution, are supported by photographs. In some cases, correspondence with persons involved is included.

The collection includes a few books (17 titles) dealing mainly with the subject of stained glass.

Reproduction of photographs not allowed without the donor's permission.

The collection was amassed by the artist in the course of pursuing his craft. On his death, his mother, Mrs. Mollie Watson, donated them to The University of the West Indies.

Minute Books (George F. Huggins and Company Limited)

The collection includes minutes of the meetings of the Board of Directors, deeds, correspondence and Directors' reports of the Company for the period 1918-1987.

George F. Huggins and Company Limited was established in Trinidad and Tobago in 1895 by George Frederick Huggins (1870-1941). Huggins was a prominent member of the business community and also served as a member of the Legislative Council, 1925-1927.

The documents were in possession of the Company before they were donated to The University of the West Indies Library, St. Augustine.

Monique Roffey papers

Monique Roffey is a Trinidadian-born British writer who has published several novels and a memoir including the widely acclaimed White Woman on the Green Bicycle which won the Boca Lit Fest prize in 2013 and was shortlisted for the Orange Prize as well as the Encore Award.

The collection contains various drafts of her novels, some unpublished works, materials she used to research the context of her stories, correspondence with publishers and literary agents, and information on her life. Manuscripts are available for: White Woman on the Green Bicycle,Sun Dog, Archipelago, Tryst (unpublished), Removed (unpublished), With the Kisses of his Mouth, and House of Ashes.

The collection was acquired in 2014 through the kind assistance of Professor Alison Donnell and the Diasporic Literary Archives Project.

Muslimeen Coup: Documents

The collection consists of legal documentation related to the attempted coup in Trinidad and Tobago, July 1990. The documents cover several subjects: merchants' insurance compensation claims; newspaper clippings; affidavits; transcripts of radio and TV broadcasts; notes of evidence, enquiry and charges; record of proceedings in the Privy Council against members of the Jamaat-al Muslimeen. Among other things, the collection gives information on the persons who lost their business in the looting and destruction that followed in the wake of the attempted coup.

Norbert Eriché Papers

Norbert Eriché was a public servant attached to the government's Co-operative Department in Trinidad and Tobago. He was also actively involved in community affairs in the community of Morvant in Trinidad.

The collection consists of pamphlets, newsletters, notes and newspaper clippings, mainly dealing with the credit union and co-operative movement in Trinidad and Tobago.

The collection was amassed by Mr. Eriché and donated to The University of the West Indies by his son-in-law, Mr. Roy Mitchell.

O'Halloran Papers

John O'Halloran was born in 1916 in the Heights of Aripo, Trinidad. The owner of extensive citrus estates and manager of the Trinidad Lime Factory, he was also a politician who served in the government of the People's National Movement between 1956 and 1970. After being dogged by allegations of financial impropriety for many years, he was formally charged with accepting bribes in 1983. He moved to Canada and died in 1985. His financial dealings were under investigation under a subsequent government.

Thirteen volumes consist of corporate and real estate documents; documents related to the Trinidad Racing Authority, Trinidad-Tesoro Petroleum Company, McDonnell-Douglas and other business corporations with which O'Halloran was involved. Two copies of the following are also kept with the papers: "Supreme Court of Canada. Court File 30692/88. Between Trinidad and Tobago (BWIA International) Airways Corporation, Trinidad-Tesoro Petroleum Company Limited, and Trinidad and Tobago Racing Authority, plaintiffs; and the estate of John O'Halloran, John E. O'Halloran, the estate of Alfonso A. Rodriguez, Trinican Financial Corporation, 354233 Ontario Limited, Caribbean Contracting Limited, Navarro's and Company Limited, Fernando Navarro, John Rahr and Merkol Establishment, defendants."

The papers were made available for the use of the independent senators of the government of the National Alliance for Reconstruction (1986-1991). They were housed at The Alma Jordan Library of The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, for consultation by the senators.

No photocopying allowed.

Pan is Beautiful V

The collection consists of two musical scores for the tenor pan written by Anthony Prospect.

Superintendent Anthony Prospect was Director of Music of the Trinidad and Tobago Police Band from 1967 to 1982. A graduate of the Royal Military School of Music, he was the first local to be appointed musical director, and pioneered the fusion of Calypso music and military rhythms. He also served as musical director and composer for several steel orchestras in Trinidad and Tobago.

These handwritten music scores were specifically written by Anthony Prospect for Susan Henry when she was a member of the Valley Harps Steel Orchestra. Mr. Prospect was then directing the band in preparation for 'Pan is Beautiful V World Steelband Festival' (1988). Mrs. Henry donated them to the University of the West Indies.

Patrick Dyer's Writings

Dr. Patrick Dyer, trained teacher, lecturer and education administrator, was Principal of the Port of Spain Teachers' College, Trinidad, in the 1960s. He later served as Director of Education, Ministry of Education and Culture in the 1970s. He was also a member of the Psychological Association.

The collection consists of typescript copies of speeches and addresses, as well as essays and articles, all authored by Patrick Dyer.

The collection was kept by the author and donated to The University of the West Indies Library.

Petroleum Industry (Early Photographs)

Randolph Rust, London born businessman and oil pioneer, arrived in Trinidad in 1881. He went into business and established the commercial firm Rust Trowbridge and Company. He was the person who established the oil industry in Trinidad and struck oil in 1901. He continued to be involved in oil exploration for the next two decades. He was a member of the Port of Spain City Council from 1914-1929 and also served a term (1920-21) as Mayor of Port of Spain.

The collection consists mainly of photographs documenting many aspects of the early years of the oil industry in Trinidad. They include shots of the Aripero Well and other areas in Guayaguayare, which were the scene of Rust's pioneering efforts; clearing, drilling and shipping activities; steel derricks; housing areas; important events, e.g. the Governor's visit. Most of the photographs carry captions or explanations in pencil.

The photographs, many of which include Randolph Rust himself, were the property of Mrs. Randolph Rust, his widow. She gave them to Mr. Robert Henry who donated them to the library.

Professor Julian Kenny's Papers

Professor Julian Kenny had a long and distinguished career on the staff of The University of the West Indies, from 1963 until his retirement in 1990. He began as a lecturer in zoology in the faculties of Agriculture and Natural Sciences and rose to the ranks of Professor and Head of Department. He also supervised several M. Phil. and Ph.D. students. Throughout his career he served on university committees, was active in organizations pertinent to his training and interests and also represented the government of Trinidad and Tobago at various international meetings.

The collection consists of correspondence, forms, bills, receipts and text of some speeches, all pertinent to Professor Julien Kenny.

Professor Kenny kept records of all his activities. The files were lodged at The University of the West Indies Library on his retirement. The collection continues to be updated with additions from Professor Kenny.

Raffique Shah’s Manuscript of the Address Delivered to Court Martial at the Town Hall, Port of Spain on January 12-13, 1971.

Raffique Shah, a citizen of Trinidad and Tobago was born in March 1946. He attended Presentation College and the British Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst. He joined the Trinidad and Tobago Regiment on 5th September 1964 prior to him taking up a scholarship at Sandhurst. He was commissioned on 28th July 1966 at the rank of Second Lieutenant and returned to Trinidad to take up duties at Teteron Barracks on 2nd January 1967. In 1970 amidst the Black Power uprising in Trinidad and Tobago, Shah and another lieutenant, Rex Lassalle, led a mutiny at Teteron Barracks on 21st April to prevent the Prime Minister, Dr. Eric Williams from using the military against the people involved in the Black Power uprising. After ten days Shah and Lassalle surrendered and were imprisoned to await Court Martial. The Court Martial was held in 1971, during which Mr. Shah delivered his address over two days. He was imprisoned and later freed after successfully appealing his case at the local and Privy Council courts. Mr. Shah then became active in the trade union movement and helped establish the political party, the United Labour Front. He has contributed to journalism through his numerous columns in various newspapers.

The handwritten manuscript is the text of the speech prepared and delivered by Mr. Shah during Court Martial in 1971 following the mutiny at Teteron Barracks. The speech is also published as "The People Have Absolved Me" in  Selwyn Ryan and Taimoon Stewart, eds. The Black Power Revolution, 1970: a Retrospective. Trinidad and Tobago: Iser, 1995. pp.441-508. In another article available in this same volume and written by Mr. Shah entitled "Reflections on the Mutiny and Trial", he points out that of the 27 months he was incarcerated, seven of these were spent in solitary confinement, and it is during this period that the manuscript was written.

Ranjit Kumar papers

Ranjit Kumar was born in India on August 6, 1911 (or 1912). He graduated from the Imperial College of Science and Technology with a degree in Engineering. He migrated to Trinidad and Tobago in 1935 and brought with him the film Bala Joban, the first Indian film to be shown in Trinidad. He was the engineer responsible for the construction of Wrightson Road in Port of Spain. He entered politics in Trinidad in 1940 and served on the Port of Spain City Council and the Legislative Council. (Source: Brereton, Bridget and Gooptar, Primnath. Ranjit Kumar: Bridging the east and the west (1912-1982), N.p. 2013.)

The collection contains ephemera, newspaper clippings and documents which highlight the public life of Ranjit Kumar. Mr. Ranjit Kumar gave the collection to Professor Brinsley Samaroo who, with the agreement of the family, donated it to The Alma Jordan Library.

Raymond Collection

Arthur F. Raymond (1893-1965), journalist, was at one time editor of the Argos newspaper. Following on the closure of the Argos, he also worked as sub-editor and lead-writer of the Port of Spain Gazette. He also worked as an Information Officer with the Trinidad and Tobago Government in the 1940s.

This collection consists of a miscellany of material on the history and culture of Trinidad and Tobago. It includes books, magazines and pamphlets on Trinidad and Tobago, odd issues and clippings from the Port of Spain Gazette, Trinidad Chronicle and other newspapers, programmes from cultural events, clippings and articles on trade unions. The collection also contains a few photographs, some musical relics, namely four small (20") records and six paper rolls for the pianola instrument. These contain music for old calypsoes: Gumbo Lai Lai; Woman sweeter than man; Run yuh run.

The material was amassed by A.F. Raymond and came into the possession of his daughter, Ursula Raymond, who donated it to The University of the West Indies Library.

Raymond Quevado Collection

Raymond Quevado, the son of a Trinidadian mother and a Venezuelan father, was educated at St. Mary's College in Trinidad. After leaving school he continued to educate himself by reading the literary classics. He later became a calypsonian, Atilla the Hun, who used the literary grandeur of the classics for his calypsoes. In 1946 he entered politics, was President-General of the Trinidad Labour Party and won a seat on the Port of Spain City Council. He effectively merged his two roles as calypsonian and politician.

The collection consists of 262 items, of which 138 are manuscripts. Included in these are manuscript copies of his book entitled Atilla's kaiso: A short history of Trinidad calypso (1983) and a manuscript of short stories by Quevado and others. Seventy-five (75) letters written by Quevado in various capacities are also included.

Roger Mais Collection

Roger Mais, Jamaican novelist, playwright, journalist, painter, began writing verse and short stories in the 1930s. He was a close friend of political leader and later Chief Minister of Jamaica, Norman Manley, and was profoundly influenced by the political, social and cultural climate of the times. His involvement in the emerging nationalist movement of the time is reflected in his work.

The collection consists of copies of Mais' short stories, some of which are written under a pseudonym, Kingsley Croft. They are mainly typescript, some with handwritten changes or corrections.

Originals in the Mais Collection are housed at The University of the West Indies Library, Mona, Jamaica.

These materials were collected by a student who was doing research on Roger Mais. They were passed on to the Library via Annette Knight, formerly Deputy Campus Librarian.

Roland Graham "Grenada" Collection

The People's Revolutionary Government (PRG) came to power in Grenada when Maurice Bishop and the New Jewel Movement overthrew Eric Gairy's Government in 1979. The PRG, which was Marxist in outlook, aimed to confront imperialism and dependency and sought to establish social and economic independence in Grenada. An internal struggle for power within the PRG led to the death of Maurice Bishop and other members of his Cabinet in 1983 and the subsequent intervention of the United States to restore order on the island.

This collection comprises books, serials, pamphlets and a few newspaper clippings, all related to the time period when the People's Revolutionary Government was in power on the island of Grenada. Of particular interest are the speeches of the later Prime Minister, Maurice Bishop, and other government ministers. The collection also includes a fairly extensive run of news releases covering the period when the People's Revolutionary Government was in power.

The collection was amassed by Roland Graham of Trinidad, who was particularly interested in the events in Grenada at the time of their occurrence. He donated it to The University of the West Indies.

Roume de St. Laurent Manuscripts

Roume de St. Laurent, a French planter on the island of Grenada in the 1770s , was interested in the incentives offered to Catholic foreigners to immigrate to Trinidad at that time. His visit to Trinidad and subsequent lobbying of the Spanish colonial authorities resulted in the 1783 Cedula of Population which was responsible for a wave of French immigration to Trinidad.

The collection consists of photocopies of three eighteenth-century manuscripts relating to the island of Tobago. Text in French. English translation is available for one of the documents.

The copies of the manuscripts were acquired by a Catholic nun, Sister Marie Thérèse Rétout, who was researching Roume de St. Laurent.

Sam Selvon Collection

Samuel Selvon, writer, was born in San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago in 1923. After his secondary education at Naparima College, he worked with the Royal Navy Reserves and as a journalist with the Trinidad Guardian. He migrated to London in 1950 and established himself as a writer. He was a contributor to the BBC programme, Caribbean Voices, and became well known as the exponent of the Black immigrant experience in England. He relocated to Canada in 1978. Despite living in exile, he continued to make use of local dialect in his works. He remains dear to the hearts of the citizens of Trinidad and Tobago because of his loyalty to the land of his birth.

The collection consists of manuscripts of Selvon's published works - poems, plays, short stories, articles and non-fiction work. The collection also includes correspondence that has not yet been inventoried.

The material was amassed by the author himself and donated to The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, in 1987.

Sao Tome postcard collection

26 postcards and 2 photographs of the island of Sao Tome in the 1920s.

Stewart Hylton Edwards Music Collection

Stewart Hylton Edwards was born in London but lived all his working life outside England - in Africa, Canada and the Caribbean. He pursued several parallel careers: soldier in World War II; Major in the Trinidad and Tobago Regiment, which he helped to establish; teacher; broadcaster; poet and novelist; businessman. Above all, he was also a composer whose output included four symphonies, piano and viola concertos, two string quartets and a substantial body of chamber, choral, vocal, orchestral and piano music.

The collection consists of music scores of the composer's work - symphonies, orchestral music; chamber music; choral music; music for piano; songs. Copies of some of the items are held at the British Music Information Centre, the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, London, and the International Library of African Music, Rhodes University, South Africa. Location information is indicated in the inventory.

The collection was amassed by the composer and came into the possession of his widow, Mrs. Patricia Hylton Edwards, after his death. She donated it to The University of the West Indies.

The donor, Patricia Hylton Edwards, made provision in her will for a ten-year bursary to take effect after her death, to promote interest in the performance and study of her husband's music.

St. George Cooper Papers

The collection which spans the period 1948-2005 contains correspondence, documents and manuscripts resulting from St. George Cooper's research particularly on agriculture in Trinidad and Tobago and selected African states. The papers highlight the conditions of several industries in Trinidad and Tobago during the 1960s: rice, cocoa, banana, and citrus.

St. George Cooper was born in St. Lucia and later became a citizen of Trinidad and Tobago. He studied at the Imperial College of Tropical Agriculture (ICTA) where he earned a Diploma in Agriculture, and at Trinity Hall, Cambridge University and the Agricultural Economics Research Institute at Oxford University. He worked in several Caribbean territories and African states as well as with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

Trinidad Guardian 75th anniversary 1992. Special edition

The collection consists of 12 postcards depicting the work of cartoonist Dunstan E. Williams, popularly known as Dew. It was produced on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the Trinidad Guardian newspaper in 1992. Also included are envelopes and a flyer showing a photograph of Dew and providing highlights of his career.

Dew was a cartoonist with the Trinidad Guardian for thirty-five years before retiring in 1995. He won several prestigious awards, and his work was exhibited in Bulgaria, Greece, Canada, Cuba, Germany, Greece, Sweden, Turkey, the former Yugoslavia and Trinidad and Tobago. He died in December 2004.

Trinidad Lake Asphalt Files

Trinidad Lake Asphalt Company became established in Trinidad in the 1870s following the export of asphalt and the introduction of its use for road surfaces in Europe and America.

The collection includes correspondence, reports and miscellaneous information related to the Pitch Lake and the Trinidad Lake Asphalt Company. Also included are versions of a manuscript by D.C. Broome, The History and Technology of Trinidad Asphalt, 1972, 210 p.

The information was in the possession of Alan Taylor, an official of Trinidad Lake Asphalt Company.

Union Island, West Indies Memorandum Book: 1841 to 1845 inclusive

The book records the business transactions of a store in the town of Clifton, Union Island, St. Vincent. A note on the cover indicates that "Captn Oliver Williams Span died there in 1842 (Jan 13th), Clifton Store".

UWI Extra Mural Play Scripts

The collection contains scripts for 35 plays published by the UWI Extra Mural Department. Several of the plays are written by Caribbean writers and there is a selection of plays from renowned international playwrights. • The rival suitors: a comedy in three scenes • Honesty pays: a comedy in three scenes / José Ramon-Fortune • Goose and gander: a comedy in one act / Wilfred Redhead

• The runaway: a play in two acts / Carey Robinson

• Terminus: a play in one act / Dennis C. Scott

• A smell of damp

• The professor: a comedy in one act / Clifford Sealy

• Drought: a play in one act (3 copies) / F.L. Street

• The tout

• The creatures: a play in one act Caribbean Plays No. 5 (3copies) / Cicely Waite Smith

• Africa sling-shot: a play in one act / Cicely Howland • Road to Glory ( a verse drama) about 9,000 words / A.M. Clarke

• Anne-Marie: a play in three acts (3 copies) / Douglas Archibald

• Good Morning Miss Millie: a comedy in one act (August 1969) / Alwin A. Bully

UWI St. Augustine 50th Anniversary Commemorative Photograph Collection

The Alma Jordan Library commissioned Abigail Hadeed to do a series of photographs to commemorate the UWI St. Augustine 50th anniversary. These pictures highlight buildings, scenery and some members of staff at the institution. The collection contains coloured and black and white photographs.

West India Committee Records

The West India Committee comprised merchants, traders and absentee planters engaged in West Indian trade in the eighteenth century. It functioned as a pressure group for West Indian Interests during the era of the abolition of slavery. The Library of the West India Committee is held on deposit at the Institute of Commonwealth Studies, London.

The records include minute books of the general meetings of the Committee of Planters and Merchants together with its standing committees; Minutes of the Literary Committee; Minutes of the Committee of West India Merchants and other miscellaneous records.

The minute books were purchased by the Trinidad and Tobago Government and deposited at The Alma Jordan Library of The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine.

William Demas Papers

Mr. William Demas, an economist by profession, was a Caribbean intellectual of immense stature internationally. During his career, he held many influential positions, both locally and regionally. He served as economic advisor to Trinidad and Tobago's Prime Minister, Dr. Eric Williams; first CARICOM Secretary-General; President of the Caribbean Development Bank; Vice-Chairman of the West Indian Commission; Governor of the Central Bank of Trinidad and Tobago. He was highly respected by all his colleagues and leaders throughout the region and was awarded Trinidad and Tobago's highest honour, the Trinity Cross, in 1988. He died in 1998.

The collection includes articles, pamphlets, speeches, government documents, official correspondence to and from Caribbean leaders and scholars. The collection also includes documents about Caribbean regional organizations with which Mr. Demas was associated.

The collection was amassed by William Demas during his lifetime. His family donated it to The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, after his demise.

William Young Diaries

Sir William Young was governor of Tobago in the early nineteenth century, 1807-1815. A collection of his memoranda, accounts, invoices, and other documents relating to his properties, and his historical, statistical, and descriptive account of the island of Tobago in his diaries provide valuable primary source material for research into the era. The works are well illustrated with watercolour sketches and maps done by Sir William Young himself.

The original three volumes have been in the Library's possession from the establishment of the University. A fourth volume of illustrations was purchased from a private individual in Australia in 1978. The Library also has microfilm copies of three other versions of the manuscripts. The originals to these are held at the British Library, the Public Record Office and the Royal Library at Windsor.

View images and read transcripts from the diaries: Digital Resource

Winston Jules Mahabir Collection

Dr. Winston Jules Mahabir was the first Minister of Health in Trinidad and Tobago and served during the tenure of Dr. Eric WiIliams who was the country's first Prime Minister. Dr. Mahabir was responsible for significant changes to the infrastructure of the Port of Spain General Hospital.

This collection comprises materials accumulated by Dr. Mahabir during his service as Minister of Health in Trinidad and Tobago, photographs of the Port of Spain General Hospital before major renovations, documents concerning the lease of land to the US for Military bases, the manuscripts for his book In and Out of Politics and several essays. The collection was donated by Ms Gilda Mahabir.

Wooding/Fraser Papers

Sir Hugh Wooding was born of Barbadian parents in Trinidad and Tobago in 1904. He attended Queen's Royal College and Middle Temple Inns of Courts and was admitted to the Bar in 1927. He established an outstanding reputation in the field of civil and commercial litigation. He entered municipal politics in 1941 and became Mayor of Port of Spain two years later. He was the first son of the soil to be appointed Chief Justice of Trinidad and Tobago (1962). Following his retirement, he served as Chairman of the Constitutional Reform Commission and Chancellor of the University of the West Indies. He died in 1974.

Justice Aubrey Fraser was born in Barbados of Guyanese parents in 1921 and was called to the Bar at Gray's Inn in 1948. He practiced law in Guyana from 1949, joined the Supreme Court and remained on the Bench until 1962 when he was transferred to the High Court in Trinidad and Tobago and later elevated to the Court of Appeal. He worked with Sir Hugh Wooding in the latter phase of his life and the two men became great friends. Justice Fraser served as Director of the Norman Manley Law School in Jamaica from 1972-1984.

The collection mainly consists of correspondence between the two legal jurists who conferred with each other on legal and other issues. The material sheds light on various aspects of the life of both men, as well as on the social and political life in the two societies.

The collection was in the possession of Professor Selwyn Ryan who was Sir Hugh Wooding's biographer. He donated it to The Alma Jordan Library, The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine.

Writings of Arthur Reginald Roberts: Schoolmaster and Playwright

Arthur Roberts was born in 1881 in Port of Spain, Trinidad. He became a school teacher and eventually served as headmaster of Nelson Street Boys School. He was a playwright who successfully staged plays in Trinidad. This collection contains a biography and the manuscripts for two plays by Arthur Reginald Roberts: Two sides of the picture, and Is it I?

Year of the Elder

St. Vincent and the Grenadines salutes her senior citizens who have inspired the people for over half a century.

Miniature sheetlet containing four stamps issued by the Caribbean island of St. Vincent to commemorate the Year of the Elder. The sheetlet bears the emblem of the United Nations. Four persons are depicted on the stamps: Earle Kirby; Sir Sydney Gun-Munro, a former Governor-General of St. Vincent; Sarah Baptiste; and Thomas Saunders.

The United Nations observed the year 1999 as the International Year of Older Persons.

Holman E. Williams, Emeritus Professor of The University of the West Indies (U.W.I.), St. Augustine, donated this sheetlet to the library in 2003. Professor Williams wished to draw attention to Dr. Earle Kirby who attended the Imperial College of Tropical Agriculture (ICTA) in the early 1940s. ICTA later became the Faculty of Agriculture of U.W.I., St. Augustine.