Folio (ca. 30x25 cm). 23 card stock leaves. With 76 mounted original gelatin silver photographs, including a large panorama ca. 9x29 cm (3 ½ x 11 ½ in) and twenty-seven larger images, from ca. 17,5x23 cm (6 ¾ x 9 in) to ca. 14,5x20 cm (5 ¾ x 8 in); the rest of the photos are from ca. 12x16 cm (4 ¾ x 6 ½ in) to ca. 6x6,5 cm (2 ½ x 2 ½ in). All but one photo with period pencil captions on the mounts, several are also dated from 1895 to 1910. With three mounted pieces of ephemera ca. 11,5x17,5 cm (4 ½ x 7 in) or slightly larger. Period style brown half morocco album with brown cloth boards; spine with raised bands and gilt-tooled decorative borders. Some mild water stains on the inner lower corners, sometimes mildly affecting the photos, over twenty photos with some generally minor damage to the image, a few photos mildly faded, but overall a very good album of rare strong interesting photos.

Historically significant collection of original photos, illustrating the activities of the Central Africa Mission of the London Missionary Society in what was then the British protectorate of North-Eastern Rhodesia (modern-day Zambia) in the early 20th century.

“The Central Africa Mission was launched by the London Missionary Society in 1877 and by 1893, the Society had sent out 36 missionaries. Of these missionaries, 11 died and 14 gave up missionary work, often after brief periods of service. Many of the early missionaries were affected by diseases such as sleeping sickness due to the geographical location of the early stations at Kavala and Niamkolo. Kavala was abandoned in 1889. Despite this poor start, a new station was opened at Kambole in 1895, adding to the stations at Niamkolo and Kawimbe (Fwambo), and Mbereshi was established in 1900 among the Bemba people. By the beginning of the 20th century work was centered on Kawimbe, Kambole and Mbereshi. Residential stations were further opened at Mpolokoso (Kashinda) in 1908, Kawulfe in 1922 and Senga in 1923. The Central Africa Mission covered the area to the South of Lake Tanganyika [Lake Tanzania], in an area that was to become Northern Rhodesia, and subsequently Zambia. The focus of the mission field was in the territory which became North Eastern Rhodesia where the British South Africa Company had had administrative control.” (Archives Hub).

The album contains a large, interesting panorama of the savanna with the distant shores of Lake Tanganyika, taken “from Niamkolo Station.” Five other photos show the mission house and church in Kambole, “Niamkolo House,” “L[ondon] M[issionary] S[ociety] canoe” (with native rowers and a white woman with child at the front), and “Kawimbe Mission.” Two more snapshots depict the Roman Catholic Cathedral in Kayambe (exterior and interior).

About twenty images are thoroughly captioned, individual and group portraits of British missionaries and their children. Among the identified people are missionaries in Kawimbe - Walter Draper and Harold Edgar Wareham, missionaries in Kambole - Rev. Robert Stewart Wright (one of the founders of Kawimbe mission in 1887) and Rev. James Arthur Ross, missionaries in Mbereshi – Rev. Henry Cecil Nutter, William Freshwater and Bernard Raleigh Turner, missionaries in Mpolokoso – Rev. William Govan Robertson and Rev. Ernest Howard Clark (see: Central Africa// The 120th report of the London Missionary Society, with list of contributions for the year ending March 31, 1915, pp. 248-260).

The portraits also depict several British civil administrators in North-Eastern Rhodesia, mostly in Abercorn (modern-day Mbala). Among them are Hugh Charles Marshall (the founder and magistrate of Abercorn), native commissioner G.M.E. Leyer, and James McNeil (1875-1910), the first Abercorn postmaster in 1902-1909. The latter became known for his drawings of African scenery and animals, which he reproduced and sold as postcards and souvenirs.

The other photographs show native guides “protecting horses while crossing through “fly” country,” “carriers ready for work,” “Spirit huts, Mambwe,” “cleared road, Mambwe,” “interior, McNeil’s house” (two photos), “Mrs. McNeil’s grave, Kawimbe,” “Kalambo falls, about 800’ deep,” a Maasai warrior, “elephant killed by Leyer,” “bush buck killed by McNeil,” Luena River, “S.S. Queen Victoria, Lake Nyasa [Malawi],” “Mount Waller, Lake Nyasa,” “German Government House, Lake Nyasa,” &c.

Twenty-seven large studio photos include over a dozen various views: a scene of the “launch of S.S. Clement Hill, Victoria Nyanza” (in 1905), nine views of Mombasa (streets with the “trolley” tracks and a building with the sign of “Macdonald Terrace,” “Africa Hotel,” Memorial Cathedral, Fort Jesus, “Government Hospital,” harbour, landing place), four views of Zanzibar (a street, the Sultan’s Palace – before and after the bombardment of 1896, Christ Church Anglican Cathedral), and two views of Dar es Salaam and Aden. The rest of the large studio photos show scenes at Kavirondo and Maasai markets, group portraits of “dancing girls with chalked faces, Tabora, 1910,” Kikuyu men and women (wearing traditional costumes and jewellery), Kavirondo water carriers, women and children at a “Masai kraal,” a Maasai warrior, a “Hindu Lady,” and others.

The album also contains an original receipt for the “Hut Tax,” paid by the Central African Mission of the London Missionary Society to the British South Africa Company in 1902. There is also a reproduction of one of the drawings by James McNeil, apparently with his original handwritten note: “Eland Bull. Height at shoulder 6 ft. Length of horns on the straight 26 ½ inches.”

Overall a rare, important original source on the history of British missionary activities and civil administration in North-Eastern Rhodesia (modern-day northern Zambia) in the early 20th century.

A list of captions to the portraits of British missionaries and civil servants: “Clark, Wright, Turner, Wareham, Lewis, Ross, Mr. Wright, Robertson, Mrs. Turner, Draper, Nutter, Mrs. Robertson. Kawimbe, 1907;” “Mr. & Mrs. Leyer;” “Rhoda Leyer;” “May & Mrs. Clark;” “Mr. Marshall, Mr. Leyer, Mrs. Marshall;” “Wright, Mrs. Clark, Clark, Ross, Mrs. Turner. 1906;” “Freshwater, Johnson, Mr. & Mrs. Robertson, Mrs. MacFarlane, Draper, Wright, Clark, Ross, MacFarlane, Turner, Mrs. Clark, Lewis, Mr. & Mrs.Wareham, Nutter. Kawimbe, 1904;” “McNeil, Dr. Farndale, Gibson, Gibson Hall, Mrs. McNeil, Marshall, Mrs. Marshall. Abercorn, 1907;” “Kenneth Robertson, 1907. ‘Come over & help me’;” “R.S.W.;” “Mrs. Clark & Dennis;” “Dr. Lewis & May, Abercorn. 1907;” “Rhoda Leyer;” “Mrs. [Clusholm?] & her 4 children with two of the Clarks;” “Sylvia Turner;” “Mr. & Mrs. Wright, Ross, Mrs. Turner, Ross, Freshwater, Nutter, Mrs. Lewis, Turner, Mrs. & Ethel Nutter, Lewis & Frank. Kambole, 1909;” “Mr. & Mrs. Leyer with Rhoda;” “Mrs. Marshall, Leyer, Mrs. Leyer. Abercorn, 1910;” “May & Mrs. McNeil, Abercorn, 1907.”