PHOTOGRAPH albums compiled by a Scottish woman travelling in Europe, Egypt and India in the 1860s and 70s are to go up for auction today.
Experts say they offer a unique insight into these countries in Victorian times and could fetch up to £2500, though that might be a conservative estimate.
The three albums belonged to Jane “Janie” Stewart, daughter of Colonel McDouell of Logan, who in 1860 married the distinguished officer Lieutenant Colonel Patrick Stewart of the Bengal Engineers, known as Pat Stewart of the Mutiny for his work in maintaining telegraphic communication during the Indian Mutiny.
Sadly, Pat Stewart was able to enjoy only five years of marriage with Jane. He became ill with fever shortly after completing the historic Istanbul-Karachi undersea telegraph cable and the news of his death at the age of 32 was one of the first messages transmitted over the cable.
Unusually for a Victorian Scottish woman, Jane Stewart was very well travelled and continued to take trips even after her husband’s death.
The atlasobscura website states: “Stewart travelled to places in India and Egypt that would have still been rare sights for a British woman. In her travels, she collected photos made by local artists – photography was still the realm of professionals in those days.
“Her albums are full of images of India, from Calcutta to Delhi, the pyramids of Egypt, Cairo streets, Jerusalem, Beirut, and European cities from Greece to Norway.”
Her descendants kept the albums in an attic until they decided to sell them at Andrew Smith and Sons auction rooms in Hampshire today.
The programme for the auction describes the first album as having “93 images total, sizes vary but typically 23.5 x 29 cm, the album with gilt monogram ‘JS’ and further titled to the interior in watercolour ‘Janie Stewart’,” while the other albums have more than 100 images.
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