LEONARD ELMHIRST AND TAGORE

With Tagore, January 1925Collection: Leonard Elmhirst
Level: Series
RefNo: LKE/TAG
Extent: 10 boxes
Title: LKE Tagore
Dates: 1918-1996

Description: Leonard Elmhirst's affection for the poet Rabindranath Tagore led him to save as many of Tagore's letters, anecdotes, poems, and paintings, as he possibly could. As Tagore's travelling companion from 1923 to 1925, Leonard was well placed to do this. Letters and other Tagore memorabilia are preserved carefully in scrapbooks included in this series. Tagore's illustrated letters discuss his followers, travel, Indian and international politics, art, spirituality and religion. Of special interest are letters and papers written while Tagore and Leonard Elmhirst were travelling together in China, Italy, and South America. This series includes letters from members of the Chinese student May Fourth Movement, especially the poet Xu Zhimo (Hsu Tsemou). Papers from Italy record Tagore's meeting with Mussolini in 1926, including comments on the nature of the politician and his politics. Other travel related records include transcriptions of interviews and speeches given by Tagore while on a tour of the Soviet Union in 1930.

Victoria OcampoSimilarly, there are papers from Tagore's travels in Argentina including many letters from and to Victoria Ocampo, with whom Leonard Elmhirst maintained a lifelong correspondence. Ocampo's letters to Leonard in the 1950s mention her work publishing the literary journal SUR, discuss Tagore, and include observations on Argentine politics, including the Peron government, her arrest by the Peronistas, and Eva Peron.

Materials in this series include poetry, essays, speeches, diaries and art. There are transcriptions of Leonard Elmhirst's discussions with Tagore. There are also scattered photographs, pamphlets, and a lock of hair.

Later correspondence is with Tagore's Indian and American biographers, including officials at Visva-Bharati. The series includes records of the publication of books on Tagore, including Leonard's 1961 book 'Rabindranath Tagore: Pioneer in Education.'

For more information please see our online catalogue using the reference LKE/TAG