Robert "Bob" Koke was born in 1910 in Pasadena, California to Neltha and John Koke. He worked in the Production Department at MGM and was a tennis professional. Louise was born Louise Gignoux on May 25, 1897 in New York City. She was a painter. Robert and Louise Koke travelled to Asia in late 1935, touring Japan before visiting China, Singapore, and Bali. The Kokes arrived in Bali in 1936 and decided to stay. They opened Kuta Beach Hotel with Muriel "Manx" Pearson and spent the next five years growing their hotel, living among and observing the local population and their traditions. The Kokes fled Bali on the last boat out of the island in 1941 due to the threat of Japanese invasion.
Shortly thereafter, Bob joined US Army Intelligence and was sent to Ceylon (Sri Lanka), where he trained agents in Indonesian languages and culture to go undercover in the Japanese-controlled country. He remained with the military after the war and joined the CIA in 1947 when it was founded. He and Louise were based in Shanghai from 1946 until 1949, when they were forced to leave due to the Communist takeover of the country. Upon their return to the United States, following a brief sojourn in Formosa (modern-day Taiwan) and Japan, Bob continued to work with the CIA until his retirement in the mid-1970s. Louise died in 1992, Bob in 1996.
During his travels, Bob took numerous photographs of local sites, people, and their traditions. His photos of Balinese traditional culture before the island was overrun by tourists are of particular interest. He and Louise also kept up consistent contact with his parents during their time abroad, noting their perspective on aspects of local Balinese traditions, their way of life in Bali, the many and varied guests they had, and local and international happenings of the time.
The papers of Robert and Louise Koke measure 2.4 cubic feet and date from 1933 to 1992, with the bulk of the material dating from between 1935 and 1949. The collection consists of correspondence, financial documents, Louise's travel diary from 1935-1936, and photographic material from their travels. The correspondence is mainly between Bob and/or Louise Koke and Bob's family, including his parents, John and Neltha Koke, and sister, Dorothy, or a mixture of the three. Almost all letters are from Bob and/or Louise to Bob's family; the family's responses are not included. Their correspondence is almost exclusively from Bob and Louise's time in Asia, although there are some from when they were in the USA. They spent time in Japan, China, Singapore, and Indonesia, and Bob was in Ceylon (Sri Lanka) during World War II. Finally, they spent the years immediately following the war in Shanghai. Their departure from Asia marks the end of the bulk of the correspondence. The rest of the letters are to or from a mixture of correspondents outside the family. A few poems and short stories written by Louise are also among the correspondence.
Financial documents pertaining to Bob and Louise's purchases abroad and their dealings selling Balinese goods to MGM make up the financial documents series.
Louise's travel diary documents a portion of their travels in 1935-1936, from their arrival in Japan to partway through their time in China.
Photographic material includes photographs taken by Bob in Japan, China, and Indonesia. Most appear to have been taken between 1935 and 1949. They depict local sites, people, and cultural events.
Permission to reproduce and publish an item from the Archives is coordinated through the Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery's Rights and Reproductions department. Please contact the Archives in order to initiate this process.
The collection is open for research use.
Gift of BASAbali.
Robert and Louise Koke Collection, FSA.A2019.05. National Museum of Asian Art Archives. Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. Gift of BASAbali.
Processed by Sadie Ouzts and Ryan Murray, 2020.
Arranged with Bob and Louise Koke's outgoing correspondence to Bob's family first, arranged chronologically, followed by other correspondence, arranged chronologically. Oversized materials are separated and follow same arrangement.
Correspondence includes letters and attachments. Primarily written by Bob and/or Louise Koke to Neltha, John, or Dorothy Koke or a mixture of the three from Bob and/or Louise Koke, sent primarily during Bob and Louise Koke's time traveling and living throughout Asia. Includes some additional correspondence to or from other individuals.
Single item, unarranged.
A diary kept by Louise Koke, documenting her and Bob's travels in Japan and China in 1935 and 1936.
Arranged chronologically.
While living in Bali and operating the Kuta Beach Hotel, the Kokes also began a business purchasing local Balinese goods and selling them to American customers, primarily the props department of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios. This series contains documents related to these transactions, including bills of sale, receipts, shipping information, and inventories.
Arranged chronologically.
Primarily newspaper clippings unattached to specific correspondence. Clippings relate to various subjects, with highlights including Bob Koke's pre-Bali careers in the film industry and tennis and the Kokes brief detention in Japan on suspicion of spying after Bob was observed photographing radishes. This series also includes a brochure for the Kuta Beach Hotel.
Arranged by photograph or backing size, thereunder alphabetically by given titles, thereafter untitled.
Photographs taken by Bob Koke in Bali, China, and Japan. The photographs document architecture, people, cultural events, and natural environments encountered during the Kokes' travels and residency in Asia. Bob Koke developed an amateur artistic interest in the photographic medium and some images reflect this sensibility. Where given, titles are those indicated in handwriting or labels. Titles in brackets are supplied by archivists, but were generally avoided for individual images.
[Bali]
Bali
Legong Girl at Sempidi
[untitled]