0
A stunning collection of photographs taken by a 19th century globetrotter has caused a stir - because he meticulously painted the colours in himself. The amazing images shed new light on the world as it was more than 100 years ago, with vivid images of snake charmers, ships on the Suez Canal and fighting Sikhs, among others. Henry Harrison, a Royal Navy Paymaster General, took the black and white pictures on his voyages around the globe and, because he was a talented artist, was able to painstakingly colour them in..Harrison travelled the globe with his trusty camera and even recorded the grisly early stages of the Boxer Rebellion in China in the late 1890s. Other locations depicted include the pyramids at Giza, India, Venice, Pompeii, Tonga and the West Indies.
One of the never before seen slides is labelled: "An English party ascending the Great Pyramid." There are pictures of snake charmers, huge cannon being unloaded, ships along the Suez Canal and images of HMS Victory and the Royal Yacht "Victoria and Albert". He clearly spent time in the Holy Land and there are colour pictures of the Tomb of David, Garden of Gethsemane, the Wailing Wall, Nazareth and Jericho.
Sudanese warriors, Egyptian crocodile catchers, Indian mahouts, fighting Sikhs, Bengali lancers and even a Whirling Dervish - described as a Howling Dervish - are all recorded. The dozens of slides have been in his family ever since but are now being sold along with his paints he used and the instructions on how to colour in the pictures. Harrison was a noted marine artist and typical of his time because he was a keen naturalist and collected specimens of birds and butterflies during his voyages.
Source
