In 1903, Lorimer was commissioned by the British Raj to compile a handbook for British diplomats and agents in the Persian Gulf region. Initially given only six months, he insisted on being granted more time to ensure the handbook was thorough. The result was the 5,000 page two-volume Gazetteer of the Persian Gulf and Central Arabia. Due to the secrecy of the document, it was not acknowledged in his obituaries and public knowledge of the document only became apparent when the document was declassified in 1955. The Gazetteer of the Persian Gulf is more commonly known by historians and academics alike simply as ‘Lorimer’s’, a respectful nod to its creator. Lorimer was another of the small cadre of prominent early 20^th Century British officials who played a considerable part in setting out the future of Central Arabia and Persia, but one whose endeavours have long been forgotten. Alan Dillon served for 12 years in the Royal Marines before changing his profession from one of soldiery to diplomacy, joining the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in 2000.  He has worked extensively in South Asia and the Middle East. He is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society, author of Captain Shakespear, Desert Exploration, Arabian Intrigue and the Rise of Ibn Sa’ud, published by Medina Publishing in 2019 and Lorimer, His Gazetteer and Britain’s Pursuit of Knowledge, to be published in summer 2024. This event is for members only and prior registration will be required.  

The artistic patronage of the second Qajar ruler Fath Ali Shah (r. 1797-1834) is well known. Less studied is his patronage of the major shrines within his lands. in Qom, Mashhad and Iraq. This included the building of new courtyards, the gilding of domes and iwans, and the gifting of doors inlaid with rubies and emeralds. This lecture explores how the Shah's lavish gifts to these shrines shaped his image as a pious and generous ruler. Fuchsia Hart is a member of our Council. She has provided lectures and courses at The Wallace Collection, the V&A, the Royal Asiatic Society, SOAS, and Sotheby’s, among other places. In the past, she has worked for the Bodleian Library at the University of Oxford, the Art History Department of the University of Warwick, and for the Turquoise Mountain Foundation in Kabul, and has spent time in Beirut, Damascus, Amman, and Tehran. She  currently holds a BA in Persian, an MPhil in Islamic Art with Arabic, and is working towards the completion of a doctorate at the University of Oxford, also in Islamic Art, with a focus on shrines in 19th-century Iran and Iraq. The lecture will follow the Annual General Meeting, which starts at 6.30pm.