Photograph album - Uganda Railway

Reference	2010/361/1
Archive collection	British Empire & Commonwealth
Level of description	File
Date	1896-1898
Description	┆This photograph album contains professional images depicting the early stages (approximately the first 50 miles) of track laying for the Uganda Railway, commencing in Mombasa. Images show landscapes, construction work and trackside dwellings, as well as European, Asian and African workers. A number of images show the Mombasa railway headquarters with store sheds and office buildings, and there are a particularly large number of the construction of the temporary Makupa trestle bridge and later Salisbury Bridge alongside. Of particular interest are images of the 27th Bombay Infantry en route to operations in Uganda in early 1898. The frontispiece contains the inscription "Presented to Clifford H. Craufurd by the Chief Engineer, Uganda Ry., as a slight recognition of the valuable services rendered by him to the Ry. while acting as Her Majesty's Commissioner and Consul General during 1896 and 1897. January 31 1897." However, a number of images can be dated up to the middle of 1898, as evidenced by construction work on bridges, the locations reached by the railway at various times and the presence in Kenya of the 27th Bombay Infantry. It is therefore possible that Craufurd was given the partially-completed album in 1897 but continued to add to it himself as progress on the railway continued. Many of the photographs are not in chronological order and the majority are not captioned. However, all but three of these images are present in an album held by the National Archives and those captions have been reproduced here, verified wherever possible.
Extent and medium	1 volume
Access status	Closed
Access conditions	Unfit for production
Physical and technical	1 large hardbacked bound volume in poor condition. The album contains 48 pages with photographs glued to them. The spine is completely missing and both covers are therefore detached. There is also old mould damage to the covers. Apart from some foxing to the pages, the actual images and interior pages of the album are in fair condition.

Laying first rail Uganda Railway, Mombasa Laying first rail Uganda Railway, Mombasa Railway construction work, Kilindini Beach Train on Kilindini Beach Kilindini Station Yard Officials outside railway offices Railway workers' buildings Indian rolling stock arrives at Kilindini Railway construction at Kilindini Railway construction at Kilindini Temporary Makupa Bridge Railway bed excavation, Kilindini Railway bed excavation, Kilindini Railway workers camp with guards View over coastal inlet, Mombasa Mazeras River View of hills, Coast Province Forest interior, Coast Province Forest hillside, Coast Province Forest track, possibly Mackinnon Rd Railway officers resting Makupa Bridge works Chief Engineer's house Indian officers' camp Wakamba porters at watering hole Track to bungalow, Kilindini Chief Engineer's house Indian Army stores Indian Army stores Railway officers' quarters Medical Officer's bungalow African railway workers Indian Army camp Chief Storekeeper's bungalow Railway workers' hospital Wakamba porters at watering hole Makupa Bridge works Mombasa station yard Mombasa station yard offices Railway construction, Makupa Indian Army camp Mombasa Station Mombasa Station yard Mombasa cable station Kilindini shoreline Mombasa Station yard Condensing plant, Kilindini Makupa store yard Makupa Bridge under construction Railway construction, Kilindini First journey across Makupa Bridge Makupa store yard Makupa Bridge works Train crosses Mazeras Bridge Chief Engineer's bungalow under construction View across Mazeras Bridge Mazeras Bridge under construction Hand car on Makupa Bridge View across Makupa Bridge African railway workers group Makupa Bridge under construction Makupa Bridge under construction Makupa Bridge Old railway stock Makupa Bridge under construction Makupa Bridge under construction Makupa Bridge under construction Makupa Bridge under construction European railway officers resting African man walking Railway workers Indian officers' camp Makupa bridge works Makupa bridge works Makupa bridge works Makupa bridge works Makupa bridge works Makupa bridge works Makupa bridge works Makupa bridge works Railway store yard Makupa bridge works Railway jetty, Kilindini Kilindini beach Indian army camp, Kilindini Kilindiini Station Railway officer's camp Railway workers View of hills, Taru View of hills, Maungu Watering hole, Maungu Watering hole, Taru Watering hole, Maungu Harbour view, Kilindini Railway workers, Mombasa Workers with railway trucks Unloading barges, Kilindini Pier at Kilindini Railway worker's bungalow Pier at Kilindini

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Craufurd collection... Photograph album - Uganda Railway, 1896-1898

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