291

Guy R. Love.

Extensive letters and photographs of an American diplomat in Morocco and Ethiopia.

Various places, bulk 1907-1910
Approximately 400 items (1.2 linear feet): 150 Autograph Letters Signed by Love to his
mother and other family members, mostly several pages long, 125 of them from Abyssinia
with many of those being on American Legation letterhead; a few with separations
at folds or wear, sleeved in 5 binders, a few letters with envelopes, with
stamps clipped. Also approximately 250 photographs; 1.2 linear feet all told.

  • Notes: Guy Robert Love (1876-1913) was a dentist in Coshocton, Ohio when he sought adventure in 1907. He opened up a dentistry practice in Tangier, Morocco. In June 1908 he was appointed Vice Consul in the United States diplomatic corps, and then took the same post at Addis Ababa in Abyssinia (now Ethiopia) during the last years of the venerable Emperor Menelik II. Although the United States had previously appointed African-American consuls such as Frederick Douglass, Love was not. En route to Ethiopia, Love crossed paths with ex-president Theodore Roosevelt, who was on his way to beginning the Smithsonian–Roosevelt African expedition. 

    The correspondence begins on 7 October 1907 with Love's arrival at Gibraltar, and he then sends his first letter from Tangier on 30 October 1907.  On 27 December 1907 he explains his market niche: "There are a couple of Spanish dentists here who work very cheap. They get the cheap class as my prices are way over their heads. I get the rich Moors and foreign ministers and members of the diplomatic corps." In quick order, he was able to meet Kaïd Sir Harry Maclean, a famed Scottish instructor to the Moroccan army (2 March 1908), and on 20 June 1908 he reports "I had a new job last Monday and Tuesday. Was appointed clerk of the U.S. Consulate Court here."

    By 28 November 1908 he was considering following the consul to a new position in Abyssinia. He discusses the consul Hoffman Philip on 5 January 1909: "We are to be I think the only Americans in Addis Ababa. He was one of Theodore Roosevelt's Rough Riders in the Cuban campaign and has been here as consul general ever since." 

    Philip's connections proved handy as they made the long journey from Morocco through the Mediterranean. On 7 April 1909, "we reached Naples just ahead of the Hamburg with Mr. Roosevelt on board. . . . I saw Mr. R come on deck of the Hamburg and shake hands with his friends and take a launch to U.S.S. Scorpion in harbour there. . . . I have met Mr. Roosevelt and have had several long talks with him. He knew my name as soon as he knew where I was going, and remembered Mr. P writing him about me last fall. I ate breakfast with him this morning, and had a long walk on deck together." A postscript of 9 April encloses a faded snapshot of him with Roosevelt on deck, and another of "Kermit Roosevelt & the naturalists going ashore at Ismailia halfway through canal. They shot birds & joined boat at Suez." Another photograph shows Theodore and Kermit Roosevelt with Love aboard a launch boat, per the caption (illustrated). They parted ways on 17 April, in Aden, Arabia: "Everyone was at the rail to get a look at Mr. Rosevelt. They had a big teddy bear on a platform just under the bridge, and all cheered when we passed, as Mr. R was enjoying it as much as anyone. . . . Mr. Rosevelt bid me good bye and wished me all the success in the world, and asked me to express his gratitude to Emperor Menelik for his kindness." 

    Love's first letter from Ethiopia was 2 May 1909, at Dire Dawa between Djibouti and Addis Ababa, where he remained for several weeks waiting for Mr. Philip and trying to secure transportation to the capital. He arrived in Addis Ababa on 19 June, and then a fragment of a letter from 6 July 1909 describes his first encounter with the Emperor: "We were notified that Menelik would be pleased to receive us at the Guebbi (palace) on Tuesday the 6th."  With perhaps 10,000 in attendance, "all standing except his majesty, who was propped up on cushions on his throne. It was a very formal affair, but he is a good sort, but is certainly not going to last many moons. . . . His voice is very weak and he was breathing quite heavy." 

    Love attended a banquet on the anniversary of Menelik's coronation on 30 September 1909: "The two court fools made fools of themselves during the feast, and a man was brought in for our benefit as a curiosity, who sat on the floor in front of the king and eat over half a bullock, raw. I don't blame you for not believing this." The Ethiopian staple injera is described: "Native bread was also served in huge quantities and is like an enormous pancake." He accompanied Philip for a personal audience with the Emperor and Empress on 15 October. Their interpreter "is usually a very proud old man, and is highly respected by all the natives, but they are all held in such subjection by the Emperor that they are scared to death in his presence."

    The letters are full of good local color. On 28 October 1909, Love explains mail delays: "It was supposed that the couriers had been murdered in the Dankali country as the couriers of July 9 had been, as the natives there have been looting caravans and amusing themselves general at someone else's expense and inconvenience, but the couriers turned up last night and said the delay was caused by the mules dying on the way, and as there are no animals in that part of the country except camels and they are owned by hostile tribes, it was a difficult matter to get mules." 

    On 5 November 1909, he reports: "The Emperor had a third stroke last Thursday and is not expected to live but a few days. The crown prince Lij Iyasu has been publicly proclaimed successor, and for the past week the government affairs have been practically in his hands." The Emperor lived four more years, until December 1913 (longer than Consul Love did).

    The regular correspondence comes to an end on 31 December 1910, although Love remained in Addis Ababa for more than two years after that. Only two later letters are present, dated March 1911 and August 1912. 

    The collection also includes a large collection of photographs taken by Love in North Africa Abyssinia. Most are about 3½ x 5½ inches, plus one larger cabinet card of Love, and two views of Love's 1913 funeral procession (illustrated). 
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