RELIEF OF CHITRAL PHOTOGRAPH ALBUMS, (1895), two late 19th century photograph albums containing

RELIEF OF CHITRAL PHOTOGRAPH ALBUMS, (1895), two late 19th century photograph albums containing 50+ mounted gelatin silver print and 20+ loose albumen print and other photographs depicting the relief of Chitral, British India (present day Northern Pakistan), March/April 1895, including images of 32nd Sikh Pioneers and Colonel Kelly's Relief Force from Gilgit and other British and Indian armed forces involved in the relief + images of officers and defenders besieged in Chitral Fort after their release including Surgeon-Major George Robertson, KCSI (1852-1916), and others + images of mountainous terrain in Chitral and environs where incidents and engagements took place such as Koragh Defile, Nisa Gol, Reshun etc, photographs stated as being taken by Lt W G L Beynon, DSO (Col Kelly's Chief of Staff), with the manuscript inscription at front of one of the albums "Photos taken by Lt Beynon, 3rd Gurkhas (now Col Beynon) at the time of the Chitral show, sent home by me to my father, who placed them in this book, HB", HB being Capt Harry Benn Borradaile, who was awarded the Distinguished Service Order in recognition of services during the operations in Chitral, Captain in Kelly's forces of 32nd Sikh Pioneers, but later commanded them 1902-1909, Borradaile led a force encumbered with weapons, ammunition and supplies over the 12000ft Shandur Pass in freezing conditions and deep snow in early April 1895, a feat of extreme difficulty and hardship, that drew off the besiegers from Chitral Fort to meet the advancing party, the majority of mounted photographs in the albums captioned by Borradaile in pencil beneath, images include "Entrance to Koragh Defile - Koragh Village in distance" depicting mountainous cliff-sided river valley; "Section No 2 KM Battery..." depicting group of Indian and British soldiers with further caption stating Captain W H Stewart in foreground; "Nisa Gol Nullah" depicting mountainous scene; "House in Reshun defended by Edwardes and Fowler"; "Native officers 32nd Pioneers" depicting four Indian officers in group photograph; "Shah Mizra and Levies of Sai" depicting the Shah and six others; "Group officers 32nd Pioneers Chitral 21 April 1895", group photograph depicting 8 officers sitting at tables with tea and cigarettes including Capt H B Borradaile, Col Kelly, Lt Bethune, Surgeon Browning-Smith, Sgt Reeves, Oldham RE, Lt Cobbe etc, each with manuscript caption above and below; "Koragh Defile": x caves where Capt Ross and party took refuge...", mountainous river scene with two pen and ink X marks signifying position of caves; "Kaffirs"; "Bridge near Chitral" depicting bridge constructed by British Army, Panjkora River?; "Mouth of mine outside Fort Chitral" depicting where Umar Khan's men bored a mine which was discovered and blown up by the garrison; "NW corner of Fort Chitral, near the water tower" depicting the Fort from inside; "Nazir Humayan of the Hunza Levies" depicting cross-legged figure with rifle in foreground; "Afghan... near water tower, Chitral" depicting man in foreground posing with others in background in position with rifles; "Koragh Defile, the farthest point reached by Ross before retiring"; "group of British and Native officers, Chitral garrison" depicting Capt Townsend, Lt Gurdon and 10 others; another similar depicting Robertson, Harley, Gurdon, Townsend, Campbell and Whitchurch captioned with their names beneath + another similar; "Capt Borradaile in bivouac at Chitral" depicting Borradaile sitting at entrance to tent cross-legged with pipe with Chitrali hawk on post in front of him; "Rajah Akbar Khan and Punial Levies?"; "Lt Harley and two officers 14th Sikhs"; another image of Koragh Defile with cross to image to caption "place where Thom was killed" (Mir/Tham traditional name for ruler or prince in Hunza); "Nisa Gol Nullah scene of second fight" with crosses to image and further captions indicating position of levies, Sanjar "enemies tank Sanjar all along"; "Reshun, house defended by Edwardes and Fowler" etc etc, the images mainly duplicated in second album with different captions, each image approx size 100 x 145mm, images loose in packets mainly captioned verso, various sizes approx 80 x 105mm to 100 x 155mm, Provenance: by descent (2)