Maggs Bros.

A highly interesting album. Although we don’t know the photographer, he appears to be someone attached to the 1/4 Queen’s Signal Section.

The album loosely follows their movements and we see shots of signal stations as well as communications trenches. Of particular interest are the images depicting a heliograph transmitting station and a field telephone exchange. However, the photographer is more intent on capturing the breadth of life encountered as the Section moved through different parts India over three years. Starting at Lucknow, it goes on to show images from the Chamba state, the Punjab hills and Mussooria. We then see photos of the Khyber Pass and the Barracks at Lucknow. There are several images of British army officers training which contrasts nicely with the shot of the native cavalry corporal attending the Lucknow races. In addition to the many images depicting local life, the album shows us important architecture as well as the markets in Darjeeling and coolies at work. Photographs at Nowshera depict musicians at a local wedding, the mounted police, a local bazaar and the barracks. The blockade of Mohmand is depicted along with two images of the destruction of Mohmand village. We also see the Hindu temple at Naini-tal, shots of Peshwar, Lahore, and the Dagshai hills. Toward the end of the album are a handful of photographs of Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq), focusing on Baghdad.

Included are a handful of professional photographs (perhaps 20 in all), the rest are original snapshots.