CANADA—DALLY, FREDERICK ALBUM OF PHOTOGRAPHS TITLED 'PHOTOGRAPHIC VIEWS OF BRITISH COLUMBIA 1867-1870',

4to (305 x 225mm.), albumen print carte-de-visite portrait of Frederick Dally on upper pastedown, and 71 albumen prints on 25 thick card mounts (including 12 small portraits on one mount), many full-page, each neatly captioned in ink on the mount, original red morocco gilt, upper cover titled in gilt, covers with brass at edges, gilt edges, some marginal stains, and slight edge wear, head of spine repaired, extremities rather rubbed, spine creasedTOGETHER WITH: 47 similar loose albumen print views and portraits (35 small), attributed to Dally; including a hand-tinted carte-de-visite of Dally (inscribed in ink on the reverse "Frederick Dally, San Francisco, Oct. 1870, Aetat 32 years"), MANUSCRIPT lists of photographs (some in Dally's hand), and articles and notes collected by Sven Gahlin

Purchased from Francis Edwards Ltd, London in 1971; Exhibited in "Sacred Circles: Two thousand years of North American Indian Art" at the Hayward Gallery, London, 1976-77 (catalogue p. 236, no. 690) and Kansas City, Missouri, 1977 (no. 691)

Condition is described in the main body of the cataloguing, where appropriate.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

IMPORTANT EARLY PHOTOGRAPHS OF BRITISH COLUMBIA, including portraits of indigenous peoples and their homes, topographical views, gold mining scenes and life in and around Vancouver Island. Frederick Dally (1838-1914), who was born in England, 'arrived in Victoria, Vancouver Island, in 1862 at the height of the Cariboo gold rush and began business as a general merchant. In June of 1866, he opened a photography gallery on Fort Street, where he produced cartes-de-visite of prominent citizens, and sold albums and views of public buildings, local scenes, and special events. That same year, he accompanied Vancouver Island Governor Arthur Kennedy on a trip around Vancouver Island. As a keen observer and amateur anthropologist, he produced an extensive record of the native peoples of British Columbia and also collected native artifacts. Best known are his 1867–68 photographs of the Cariboo Wagon Road and the goldfields' (Encyclopedia of Nineteenth-Century Photography, 2008, p. 377).

This album appears to have been compiled by the photographer: another album in an identical tooled binding, but in brown morocco, and with the same title on the upper cover was presented to Queen Victoria on January 6th 1883 by Dally, and is preserved in the Royal Collection at Windsor Castle.