Lot Essay
A personal album documenting the period from circa 1858 when J.N. Tresidder served as Surgeon General in the Northern Provinces of India, to circa 1862-1863 when he took leave and returned to Falmouth. The album begins in Cawnpore and includes portraits of J.N. Tresidder and his family, native doctors and orderlies, native and British members of the Civil Establishment, the President and District Engineers of the East Indian Railway; views around Cawnpore including Christ's Church under repair after the Mutiny, the well near the Slaughter house "into which the women + children, after being hacked with swords, were thrown the living with the dying + the dead together - on the approach of Gen. Havelock K.C.B. July 15th/57", the camp; portraits of the photographer D.H. Macfarlane and his family, 'H.M.'s 42nd Regt. Royal Highlanders - The Black Watch', native servants, native prisoners in shackles, and composite photographs of 'Cawnpore Friends' signed J.N.T. fecit; views around Lucknow after the siege including a view of the 'Banqueting Hall in the Residency used as a hospital during the siege' with a tripod in the foreground, the Chutter Munzil, Secundra Bagh with bodies in the foreground taken by Beato, 'Battery near Begaun Kotee', the Kaiser Bagh; architectural studies of temples around Benares, several stereoscopic views including a view of 'Dr. Murray's house, Agra'; several views of the Taj Mahal and gardens including stereoscopic views and three views with a darkroom in the foreground; portraits of statesmen and friends in Agra including a portrait of Dr. John Murray's wife, military figures, portraits of 'Some of the Rajahs and representatives of the Castes in and about Agra', a composite photograph of 'Agra Friends' and stereoscopic views including an image of a sword-swallower and a snake-charmer; architectural studies around Secundra including a view of the Entrance Gate to Secundra Gardens from within with a native crouching in front of a camera on a tripod in middle ground; views around Bindrabun, Futtehpore Sickree, Mutthia, Gobirdhun, Deeg, and Bhurtpore including architectural studies of tombs and temples, stereoscopic views of street scenes; portraits of H.H. the Rajah of Bhurtpore; and sporting views taken from life of a live cheetah about to be set loose, and 'a living tiger taking the air in his cart with his keeper'; finally a harbour view and rock study at Falmouth and a large quantity of individual and group portrait studies taken in one studio (probably by Tresidder) of family and friends including a group portrait of the Tresidder children dated 1862, a group portrait of 'Sergt. Lawson, Sergt. Downing and Captn. Sleeman 3rd D & C. Rifle Volunteers', and a portrait of 'J.C. Stephans - Photr.'; a still-life of a hare and another of a woodcock dated Septr./62
Several of the portraits and stereoscopic images in this album are identical to those portraits and half stereos found in the album sold at Sotheby's London 10th May 1990, lot 72, known as the Murray album. The latter also contained composite portraits which matched those in this album which are signed J.N.T. fecit. Several of the large views are signed D.H.M. as are a small number of the stereoscopic views. It would seem likely that J.N. Tresidder and D.H. Macfarlane took the majority of the photographs in this album and therefore that several of the photographs in the Murray album may also be by these photographers. There do not appear to be any portraits of Dr. John Murray however the fact that there are a few of his wife and a view of his house suggests that he was a friend of the Tresidders and may have contributed to some of the work in this album.
Macfarlane exhibited another print of the large foliage study titled Creepers at the fourth Annual Exhibition of the Bengal Photographic Society where it was highly praised.
Christie's would like to thank John Falconer from the British Library Oriental and India Office Collections for his help with this album.
Several of the portraits and stereoscopic images in this album are identical to those portraits and half stereos found in the album sold at Sotheby's London 10th May 1990, lot 72, known as the Murray album. The latter also contained composite portraits which matched those in this album which are signed J.N.T. fecit. Several of the large views are signed D.H.M. as are a small number of the stereoscopic views. It would seem likely that J.N. Tresidder and D.H. Macfarlane took the majority of the photographs in this album and therefore that several of the photographs in the Murray album may also be by these photographers. There do not appear to be any portraits of Dr. John Murray however the fact that there are a few of his wife and a view of his house suggests that he was a friend of the Tresidders and may have contributed to some of the work in this album.
Macfarlane exhibited another print of the large foliage study titled Creepers at the fourth Annual Exhibition of the Bengal Photographic Society where it was highly praised.
Christie's would like to thank John Falconer from the British Library Oriental and India Office Collections for his help with this album.