Photo 1168/1

Oblong folio photograph album, measuring 340 x 505 mm, half-leather binding, with red leather label panel, stamped Photographic Views in gilt, on upper board; bookplate of 'Mr James Wilson, J.P. (of Calcutta.) Rutland Park, Sheffield,' laid down on front fixed endpaper (see biographical note below). The album contains a total of 164 albumen prints. From the numbering of the prints in the album, which starts at 297, this would appear to be a continuation of a preceding volume or volumes. It was clearly originally compiled with prints mounted on the recto of each folio only, with additional prints pasted to the verso at a later date, probably by Wilson. The original prints, mounted on recto, are captioned in both German and English, while those mounted on the verso have only English captions.

James Wilson (1825-1902) was educated at the People's College, Sheffield, and was for a time a teacher, before entering a cutlery firm in Sheffield. He went to India with the intention of establishing a direct trade in Sheffield manufactures, but on the failure of this enterprise entered journalism. From 1863-80 he was editor and joint proprietor of the Indian Daily News and was for some years an active member of the Calcutta Corporation.