private - British India – Original Colonial Hunting...

An evocative collection of original period photographs, apparently documenting British colonial life and hunting expeditions in the Indian subcontinent, dating approximately from the 1920s–1930s. The photographs appear to originate from the same private album or archive and form a remarkably coherent visual record of travel, sport and social life during the period of the British Raj. The collection includes numerous fascinating scenes: elephant-mounted hunting parties (shikar) travelling through high vegetation, European hunters with rifles and dogs, groups of local participants and attendants, hunting and shooting scenes, horses and sporting activities, buffaloes bathing in a river, landscapes and countryside, kennelled hunting dogs, and various scenes of camp and outdoor life. Of particular interest are several photographs showing large parties travelling on elephants, offering a striking record of the organisation of colonial-era hunting expeditions. Another unusual photograph depicts a formal table displaying a substantial quantity of silverware and glassware, apparently connected with a reception, club, sporting event or prize ceremony. The photographs are genuine vintage photographic prints and show signs consistent with their age and previous mounting in an album. Several have clipped corners, folds, creases, surface marks or traces of former mounting. Please examine the photographs carefully for the exact condition. The precise location, participants and photographer have not been identified, and no attribution is therefore claimed. The imagery, clothing, hunting practices and use of elephants strongly suggest the British Indian colonial context. An attractive historical photographic archive for collectors interested in British India, the British Raj, colonial photography, shikar and hunting history, ethnographic photography, travel and social history. Period: approximately 1920–1935 Region: Indian subcontinent / British India, attribution based on photographic content Medium: original gelatin silver / period photographic prints Condition: varying, with age-related wear, creases, marks and traces of album mounting Provenance: private collection Sold as one complete collection. All photographs shown in the images are included in the lot.

Estimate:£127.08

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