ITEM DESCRIPTION
Original Corporation of London souvenir programme and menu for the civic Reception and Luncheon at Guildhall in honour of Their Majesties the King and Queen of Thailand, held Wednesday, 20 July 1960. Large string-tied booklet in the original card wraps, complete with the red-and-white silk cord and twin tassels as issued; printed in red, blue, and black, with the City arms and motto “Domine Dirige Nos.” Printer’s credit to Raphael Tuck & Sons Ltd. appears on the lower rear cover. The interior presents the formal title leaf naming the Lord Mayor Sir Edmund Villiers Minshull Stockdale, the Sheriffs Hubert Pitman, O.B.E., and Cyril Derry, followed by a historical note on Guildhall, the Programme of Music performed by the Royal Artillery Orchestra (conductor Major S. V. Hays, Director of Music, R.A.), the full wines and menu, the toasts, and a two-page roll of the Special Reception Committee.
The cover design is explained inside: the artwork integrates an impression of Bangkok’s Grand Palace and the Temple of the Emerald Buddha (Wat Phra Kaew); the Thai national emblem, the Garuda, is set above bands in the national colours, while the top border carries the arms of the Corporation of London. Within, the music list includes Elgar’s “Pomp and Circumstance No. 4,” selections from Offenbach and Strauss, Vaughan Williams’s “Folk Song Suite,” and other concert staples of the era; the toast list honours Her Majesty the Queen, Their Majesties the King and Queen of Thailand, and the Lord Mayor and Corporation of London. The wines and table are an evocative snapshot of mid-century civic hospitality: Gewürztraminer Château de Mittelwihr Grande Réserve 1957, Veuve Clicquot 1955, Château Latour 1950, Cockburn 1947, and Hine 1928 accompany courses of Charentaise melon, Scotch salmon with cucumber mayonnaise, saddles of lamb with mint jelly, seasonal vegetables, cheeses, and dessert.
Issued for the 1960 State Visit of King Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX) and Queen Sirikit, this Guildhall programme reflects the City of London’s centuries-old tradition of civic banquets in the medieval Great Hall—rebuilt and conserved in the post-war period—and underscores Anglo-Thai diplomatic ties at the height of the post-war era. The booklet stands as a substantial piece of royal visit ephemera linking London’s civic pageantry to Thai royal iconography (Garuda, tricolour, and palace skyline) on a single commemorative keepsake.
Physical condition is good overall. Covers show light handling, a few small surface specks, and unobtrusive edge toning, chiefly to the rear; corners gently rounded from storage. The silk cord and tassels remain present with minor fray to stray strands. Inner leaves are clean with scattered faint spots at the inner gutter near the fold; paper retains good whiteness without notable waviness or odor. Some general soiling and spotting visible. Binding remains sound on the original string tie; no loose or detached leaves observed.
Make sure to see the photos above for complete details.
Unpaginated; 12 pages (including covers).
Measures approximately 11 1/4 inches tall by 8 1/2 inches wide.
KEYWORDS
1960 state visit, Guildhall London, City of London Corporation, Lord Mayor Sir Edmund Villiers Minshull Stockdale, Hubert Pitman OBE, Cyril Derry, Benjamin George Arthur CBE, Royal Artillery Orchestra, Major S. V. Hays, Pomp and Circumstance No. 4, Offenbach Tales of Hoffmann, Strauss Die Fledermaus, Vaughan Williams Folk Song Suite, Cavalleria Rusticana Intermezzo, Schubert Lilac Time, Veuve Clicquot 1955, Chateau Latour 1950, Cockburn 1947, Hine 1928 brandy, Gewurztraminer Mittelwihr 1957, Charentaise melon, Scotch salmon, saddles of lamb, mint jelly, garden peas, new potatoes, cherry pie, cheeses, coffee, Garuda emblem, Grand Palace Bangkok, Wat Phra Kaew Temple of the Emerald Buddha, Thai tricolour, Domine Dirige Nos, Raphael Tuck & Sons, civic banquet, royal luncheon, royal visit ephemera, Bhumibol Adulyadej Rama IX, Queen Sirikit, Anglo-Thai relations, midcentury programme, string tied booklet, silk tassels, menu booklet, historical memorabilia, British Pathé newsreel, City livery companies, God and Magog, postwar London, collectible menu, collectible program, royal memorabilia, Thailand monarchy, London history, Great Hall, souvenir brochure, original printing, 20 July 1960
