R. B. Holmes photographs, 1910-1926 and undated

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Summary

Creator:
Archive of Documentary Arts (Duke University) and Holmes, Randolph Bezant, 1888-1973
Abstract:
The images in the collection were taken by British photographer R. B. (Randolph Bezzant) Holmes and possibly others from his studio who traveled with him. Holmes was the owner of the R. B. Holmes & Co. photography studio in Peshawar, Pakistan. Of the 208 prints in the collection, one hundred two are loose, 11.5 x 9.5" black-and-white photographic prints of Afghanistan, India, and Pakistan. The remaining 106 prints are mounted in three commercial albums whose subjects range widely, from Afghan War-period images of the Khyber Pass, Landi Khana, Ali Musjid, and the Kabul River; to pastoral scenes around Nowshera, street scenes in Peshawar city, and panoramic views of the Peshawar Valley, to views from India, including the Jhelum and Liddar valleys, Srinagar, lower Himals, Harabal waterfall, Shalimar, and the Taj Mahal in Agra, to images of Waziristan and the Khyber railway. The sizes of the mounted prints range from 8.25"x5.75" to 11.25"x9", along with some panoramic prints. Acquired as part of the Archive of Documentary Arts.
Extent:
7.6 Linear Feet (208 items)
Language:
English
Collection ID:
RL.00565

Background

Scope and content:

Of the 208 prints in the collection, one hundred two are loose, 11.5 x 9.5" black-and-white photographic prints of Afghanistan, India, and Pakistan. The majority of these detailed images were taken during the end of the Anglo-Afghan war in 1919 and depict large British military camps and vast landscapes, sometimes with camel caravans or military convoys. Some scenes show the remains of villages, military features such as towers, and religious structures. There are portraits of individuals, including camel drivers, a sniper, a female spinner, a young woman dressed in traditional wear, and various groups. The landscape views include the Khyber Pass, Tanai Gorge, Kabul River, Khargali Ridge, Dal Lake, Nanga Parbat, and the Sikkim Himalaya. Military camp views, many in panoramic scale with fine detail, include Landi Khana, Dakka Plain, and Landi Kotal.

The remaining 106 prints are mounted in three commercial albums whose subjects range widely, from Afghan War-period images of the Khyber Pass, Landi Khana, Ali Musjid, and the Kabul River; to pastoral scenes around Nowshera, street scenes in Peshawar city, and panoramic views of the Peshawar Valley, to views from India, including the Jhelum and Liddar valleys, Srinagar, lower Himals, Harabal waterfall, Shalimar, and the Taj Mahal in Agra, to images of Waziristan and the Khyber railway. The sizes of the mounted prints range from 8.25"x5.75" to 11.25"x9", along with some panoramic prints. There are 12 gelatin silver prints. The images of Waziristan (Box 6) are out of copyright. There are also several photographs from the Diwan and Mela Ram studios in the Waziristan images. Acquired as part of the Archive of Documentary Arts.

Biographical / historical:

Randolph Bezzant Holmes was born in 1888. He was a commercial photographer who took over the business established by his father, William D. Homes, around 1899 in Peshawar, Pakistan. Holmes was an official photographer of the Afghan Wars on the North West Frontier in Afghanistan. He also spent time in Kashmir and in other Asian locales. Later in life he also painted watercolor landscapes from the same areas. In 1929 he published a memoir of his time in Afghanistan, Story of the North West Frontier Province, Peshawar, containing gelatin print plates of his landscapes. Holmes died in 1973.

Acquisition information:
The R. B. Holmes Afghan War Photographs were received by the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book Manuscript Library as a purchase from 2009-2011, 2014, and 2016.
Processing information:

Processed by Paula Jeannet, December 2009

Encoded by Paula Jeannet, December 2009

Updated for additions by Alice Poffinberger, December 2010 and October 2011

Updated for addition by Alice Poffinberger, September 2014

Updated for additions by Alice Poffinberger, January 2017

Accessions 2009-0117, 2010-0181, 2010-0194, 2011-0121, 2011-0122, 2011-0212, 2014-0131. 2016-0052, 2016-0250 and 2016-0286 are described in this finding aid.

Physical location:
For current information on the location of these materials, please consult the Library's online catalog.
Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Contents

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Restrictions:

Collection is open for research.

Terms of access:

Except for the Waziristan photograph album (Box 6), which is out of copyright, the copyright interests in this collection have not been transferred to Duke University. For more information, consult the copyright section of the Regulations and Procedures of the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library.

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Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], R. B. Holmes photographs, 1910-1926 and undated, David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Duke University