North-West Frontier—Holmes | Collection of photographs, late nineteenth-century

North-West Frontier – Randolph Bezzant Holmes

Collection of photographs of the North-West Frontier, comprising:

i. Album of 23 photographs. Mostly silver prints, sizes ranging from 147 x 100mm. to 240 x 290mm., many with "R.B. Holmes & Co. | Copyright | Peshawar" stamps to versos, one signed "Holmes" in pencil at lower margin, images depicting a range of subjects including portraits and views, housed in a modern folio album, some wear and fading to photographs;

ii. 6 framed images. 5 silver print photographs and one chromolithograph after painting, between 230 x 280mm. and 165 x 455mm. unframed, between 477 x 388mm. and 323 x 622mm. framed, 2 signed "Holmes, Peshawar" on lower margin, some wear to frames;

iii. 2 mounted silver print photographs. 230 x 280mm. and 240 x 290mm., one hand-tinted, both depicting the Khyber Pass, housed in modern black cloth box, some wear to mounts

Randolph Bezzant Holmes (1888-1973) was a professional photographer who lived in the North-West Frontier Province for over fifty years, during which time he travelled extensively and "recorded the history of the Frontier with deep affection and skill" (British Library). He is known for having acted as a photographer in the Third Anglo-Afghan War.