This is a fascinating account of a mission from the President of the United States, Franklin D. Roosevelt, to Tibet and H H the Dalai Lama, who was 10 years old at the time.
The mission was a goodwill gift-exchange that was led by Major Ilia Tolstoy and Captian Brooke Dolan, who took the color footage of a Tibet that was to all intents and purposes closed to the outside world.
The film was made by the Office of Strategic Services, the precursor of the CIA, and is surprisingly respectful and understanding of what must have seemed like a very foreign religion and tradition at the time.
There is some wonderful footage of the people, customs and monasteries in the country, which was taken before the Chinese invasion, while they were still living in a feudal society, maintaining centuries old traditions and power structures.
if the video does not appear on the page, please first try reloading the page, and if that doesn’t work, leave a comment so I can update the page (the comment is not published)
to see an album of stills click here
I am doing research for my new novel, set in Tibet between the mid 1940s and early 2000s. This was a really great resource. Thank you. I sent a donation of €5 but it looks like a very small amount in MYS. I hope it will be of some use.
I don’t suppose you can recommend any material about working in a mine in the area around Damxung, north east of Lhasa, in the 1940s – 1950s?
I am sorry, I do not know anything covering that topic.