Sir Terence Clark photograph collection
Call Number
Date
Creator
Extent
Language of Materials
Abstract
Photographic prints (61) mounted in one album, as well as color photographic slides (98), and copy prints, depicting scenes and events in the emirates of Dubai, Sharjah, Fujairah, and other locations in the Trucial States, dating from Sir Terence Clark's tenure as a diplomat (Assistant Political Agent) based in the Political Agency of Great Britain in Dubai, from 1965 to 1968.
Biographical note
Sir Terence J. Clark, KBE, CMG, CVO, served as a British diplomat in multiple postings between 1955 and his retirement in 1994. He was born on 12 June 1934, and after attending Thomas Parmiter's School in London, he joined the Royal Air Force, serving from 1953-1955. During that time, he studied Russian at the School of Slavonic Studies at Cambridge, and following his joining the Foreign Service, he studied Arabic at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), and then the Middle East Center for Arabic Studies (MECAS) in Lebanon from 1956-1957.
While he served in a variety of postings throughout his diplomatic career, most of the emphasis was on the Middle East and North Africa, which led him to postings in Bahrain,(1957-58); Amman [Jordan], (1958-60); Casablanca [Morocco], (1961-62); Dubai (1965-1968), where he served as Assistant Political Agent; Tripoli [Libya], (February-March 1981), where he served as Chargé d'Affaires; and Muscat [Oman], where he was Head of Chancery (1972-1973). His career culminated in appointments as Ambassador to Iraq (1985-1989) and Ambassador to Oman (1990-1994). Following his retirement from the Foreign Service, he remained active as the Chair of the British-Omani Society from 1995-2004, as director of the Middle East Association, and as a senior consultant at Middle East Consultants. He also served as director of the International Crisis Group's Sarajevo project in 1996.
Sources: webpage for the British Omani Society, accessed in March 2025: https://www.britishomani.org/team/sir-terence-clark
Wikipedia, accessed in March 2025: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terence_Clark.
Description of transcript of interview with Sir Terence Clark, 2002, British Diplomatic Oral History Programme, Churchill Archives Centre, University of Cambridge, accessed March 2025: https://archivesearch.lib.cam.ac.uk/repositories/9/archival_objects/431490
Arrangement
The colllection is arranged largely by format. Prints that are housed in the album have remained in their original order, and are described in the finding aid at the page level. The photographic prints and slides contain the same images, simply in different formats, with the slides arranged in roughly chronological order and the prints arranged by location and topic.
Content Description
Photographic prints (61) mounted in one album, as well as color photographic slides (98), and copy prints, depicting scenes and events in the emirates of Dubai, Sharjah, Fujairah, and Ras al Khaimah, dating from Clark's tenure as a diplomat (Assistant Political Agent) based in the Political Agency of Great Britain in Dubai, from 1965 to 1968.
The album contains many images of meetings with various political leaders and dignitaries, including the ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Rashid bin Said al Maktoum, rulers of neighboring emirates, such as Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Umm al-Qawain, Ras al-Khaimah, Sharjah, and Fujairah, as well as King Hussein of Jordan, and various British diplomats stationed in the Gulf region. A number of the images were taken during the visit of King Hussein of Jordan to Dubai in 1967, and several of the images of leaders of the various Emirates of the Trucial States may have also originated from this event. Other images depict meetings between the staff of the British Political Agency and the leader of Dubai, Sheikh Rashid bin Said al Maktoum, as well as the opening of the Dubai Zoo in 1967. Many of the photographs were taken by official photographers, with some containing the attribution on the verso of the images of the agency Photo Press International, and the photographer Noor Ali Rashid. Others are unattributed and may have been taken by Clark, such as the images on Dubai Creek, or by staff of the Political Agency.
The color slides, while including a few images of Dubai, chiefly document visits to the east coast of the Trucial States, in particular the towns of Khor Fakkan and Dibba, and other locations in the emirate of Fujairah. Many images depict fisherman bringing in their catch, as well as various types of boats used in and around the town of Khor Fakkan. Other images focus on villagers and farmers, either on the east coast, or the inland areas of Sharjah emirate. A couple of images also depict Al Jahili fort in Al Ain (Buraimi), at that time used as a base for the Trucial Oman Scouts.
Subjects
Conditions governing access
The collection is open for use in the Reading Room of the Archives and Special Collections department of the NYU Abu Dhabi Library.
Conditions governing use
Rights to the photographs in this collection that were created by Sir Terence Clark have been transferred to NYU Abu Dhabi. Other images produced by third parties in this collection may be protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use materials in the collection in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s).
Preferred citation
Sir Terence Clark photograph collection; MC.148; box number; folder number or item identifier; Archives and Special Collections, New York University Abu Dhabi Library.
Immediate source of acquisition
Acquired by purchase, 2025.
About this Guide
Processing information
Processed by Brad Bauer, July 2025.