Photograph albums compiled by Crown Agents, 1890-1981
1999/221/1
This is a series of bound photograph albums, compiled by the Crown Agents in the course of their work providing services and goods relating to the railway, to various countries within the British Empire.
The first 62 volumes depict railways and railway buildings (eg stations, workshops) in the course of construction, and include some views of scenery, street scenes, and local workers. Most of the photographs are of bridges, viaducts, cuttings and tunnels. Countries represented include parts of Africa, the Carribean, South East Asia and Hong Kong.
The remaining volumes have been compiled by the Engineering Inspection department within the Crown Agents, and mainly contain shots of railway locomotives, carriages, wagons, railcars, bogies, and cranes. These were built by engineering companies within the UK to fulfill contract orders submitted by various colonial governments. The Crown Agents managed the arrangement and completion of these contracts. Therefore most of these photographs would have been taken in the UK, before the items were shipped out to the relevant country.