Augusta Bispham (1 results)

A bulging record of a well-connected San Diego couple's two weeks spent holidaying in East Asia. In Taiwan, they are the guests of Vice Admiral Charles L. Melson, the head of the United States Taiwan defence Command, and hobnob with prominent Taiwanese political and military figures. The trip is narrated through an array of candid photographs, as well as menus, maps, and other ephemera. The Starkeys were prominent members of San Diegan society, living most of their adult life in a house that is now a designated historical and architectural landmark. Born to one of the early developers of La Jolla, Harold (1896-1973) worked in finance, while Augusta (née Witherow, 1898-1995) was an accomplished singer and a civil and cultural leader. Their couple's expansive network of connections included officers stationed at the naval base, and they put these to good use during a 1964 world tour, which was covered in the local newspaper of record, the San Diego Union Tribune. The Taiwan portion of their trip lasted from 17 to 21 April 1964. This scrapbook opens with a briefing document, likely sent by Melson's office ahead of time, describing Taiwan's history and recent economic development. It advises, amongst other things, on dining etiquette, including the proper use of chopsticks and the avoidance of sensitive topics. "At any dinner table, politics is a subject best avoided by most. One point to be noted, however, is that Taiwan is the Government of the Republic of China [underlined]. There is no other recognized government. Therefore reference to either the 'Chinats' or 'Chicoms' is inappropriate and should be avoided". In Taipei, in the company of Melson and US Ambassador Jerauld Wright, they are thrust into high-society life, taking their seats at a banquet hosted by Admiral Ni Yue-Si, Commander-in-Chief of the Chinese Navy. The menu records that the party dined on "Peiping Duck" and "Beggar Squab", and ten photographs from the evening capture moments such as the preparation of the duck (a real performance) and Rear-Admiral E. E. Duvall, a veteran of the Pacific war, getting to grips with a shot of strong Chinese liquor. The following day, Harold Starkey plays golf with Melson, Ni, and the eventual victor, Major-General S. K. Hu, the director of the Ministry of defence's Liaison Bureau. Later the same day, they attend another banquet, this time hosted by the Melsons, at which Harold Starkey sits next to Ellen Chiu Ju-Hsüeh, the daughter-in-law of President Chiang Kai-Shek through her marriage to Chiang Wei-Kuo. On 19 April, the Melsons take the couple to the picturesque Taroka Gorge. Twelve photographs record the outing, including the moment during the performance of traditional Taiwanese dances when Admiral Melson is adorned with a ceremonial outfit and carried around in a chair, as well as the Starkeys' somewhat hesitant participation in the dances. As a send-off, they visit Kinmen (Quemoy), the geographical crux of Taiwan's cross-straits defence strategy and a focus for routine artillery bombardment from the People's Republic of China (PRC). They visit the Psywar Center: pasted into the scrapbook are two dozen pamphlets (one with a heart shape cut out) calling on PRC soldiers to rise up against the Chinese Communist Party and join Chiang Kai-Shek in reclaiming the mainland. Several relate to the case of Liu Chengsi, a People's Liberation Army pilot who defected to Taiwan on March 1962, flying a plane across the strait from Zhejiang to Taipei. The leaflets describe Liu's new life in a free Taiwan and his marriage ceremony, held on the second anniversary of his defection. After their return to the US, the Starkeys were sent a commemorative photograph of the visit to Kinmen by Lieutenant-General Loh Ying Teh (1913-1989), Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence, and this part of their holiday is also commemorated by a pasted-in pair of chopsticks and badges produced by the Ministry of defence. After Taiwan, the Starkeys sightsee in Hong Kong and Macao, bearing a letter of introduction from a friend, Vice-Admiral Paul D. Stroop, Commanding Officer, First Fleet, Air PAC. Postcards, business cards, and other items of ephemera are accompanied by tourist pamphlets and four photographs of the Starkeys onboard a floating restaurant. Like many other post-war tourists, the Starkeys found much in Hong Kong to capture the imagination. Folio. Original black post-binder, 41 pages with total of 173 tipped-in, laid-down, or mounted items, 9 blank pages. Binder sturdy, contents generally clean, occasional creasing and toning, most items laid down: a very good example.