Photo 183

Loose mounted prints with handwritten captions. The collection represents topographical views and portraits taken during the Crimean War and some miscellaneous views and plans. The Crimean material is important. Although the photographer is currently unknown there are records of two men, Ensigns Brandon and Dawson, being trained in photography in order to record aspects of the war. None of their photographs have been documented although it was thought that they were held by the War Office in 1869. It is possible that the collection could have then passed to the India Office Library. Support for the theory that this is the work of Dawson and Brandon is provided by Print 13 which shows a group of engineers, all named, one of which is a 'Mr Dawson'. The views and probably the portraits were taken at Kerch, an important Crimean port used by the Russians as a supply line which was taken by Allied Forces in May 1855 and subsequently fortified through the winter of 1855-56 by engineers of the Turkish Contingent under the command of Major John Stokes.