Illustrations of ancient buildings in Kashmir. Prepared under the authority of the...

Imprint: London: India Museum, 1869. Wm. H. Allen and Co., 13, Waterloo Place, S.W. Publishers to the India Office. Printed book measuring 252 x 341 mm, bound in decorated orange cloth, with leather spine, titled on cover as follows: 'Archaeological Survey of India. Kashmir. 1870.' The volume contains 44 carbon prints, architectural plans, elevations and details of the sites photographed, and descriptive letterpress, and was published as the first of a proposed series of works illustrating the operations of the Archaeological Survey of India. The photographs themselves are in excellent, unfaded condition, having 'been produced from the original negatives in the Photographic Department of the India Museum, by the 'Autotype' Process in Carbon, and are therefore permanent'. In addition to the duplicate copies noted above, there is also a set of prints (many considerably faded) in the India Office Series of archaeological photographs, at Photo 1000 (1242-1285). The original negatives are also held in the collection. Cole's preface to the volume gives an account of his journey and the work undertaken:'The Photographs and photographed Drawings contained in this series were taken in the latter end of the year 1868. I left Cawnpore on the 1st September, and, accompanied by two native surveyors, Thakoor Dass and Habeeb-oo-lah, travelled through Delhi, Lahore, and Rawul Pindee to Murree, where the Lieutenant-Governor of the Punjab was staying during the hot weather. At Murree our camp was formed for marching into Kashmir, and on September the 29th we commenced the journey to Srinagar. On the 10th October we found ourselves in the valley of Kashmir, and from this day to the 3rd November, the surveyors with myself were occupied in visiting the various buildings occupied in visiting the various buildings here illustrated. The lateness of the season limited our operations much, and many temples of great interest had to be passed over; it would, however, have been impracticable to lengthen our stay in the valley, as the snow threatened to block up the passes leading to the plains of India.'Mr. Burke, a photographer of Murree and Peshawur, formed one of our party. The zeal which he displayed in his work, and the successful manner in which he completed it, entitle him to great credit.'.

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