Falkland Islands album

The album may have been the property of the Hamond family. The initials G.M.H. or R.C.H. (see below) may stand for Georgena Maria and Richenda Catherine Hamond, daughters of Captain Philip Hamond, who lived in the Falkland Islands.

An album of blank paper with a broken binding, 9½'' x 11½''. The first thirty pages contain a miscellaneous collection of inserted photographs, original drawings and watercolours, mostly of maritime interest, ranging in date from 1845 to 1900. There are eight original pictures of the Falkland Islands area, some of which are initialled G.M.H. or R.C.H. The last item is a photograph of troops embarking for the South African War in 1900. The album is accompanied by a folder containing correspondence between the R.C.S. and the Norfolk County Local Studies Librarian about the Hamond family, 1982; photocopies relating to the family; and 'Royal Commonwealth Society library notes', no. 97, January 1965.

Purchased from Spots, 1912.

Please cite as Cambridge University Library: Royal Commonwealth Society Library, Falkland Islands album, RCMS 273

'A Falklands Islands mystery' in 'Royal Commonwealth Society library notes', no. 97, January 1965, pp. 1-3, and no. 98, p. 8, lists the original pictures in the album and discusses the problem of identifying the artists. There are further references to the album in 'Library notes', nos 248 and 249, April-June 1982. A watercolour of Port Stanley, 1844 or 1845, at the front of the album was reproduced by the C.O.I. for a set of pictures distributed to British Embassies and Consulates in May 1982.

Donald H. Simpson, ed., 'The manuscript catalogue of the library of the Royal Commonwealth Society' (London, 1975), p. 150; MSS Addenda, vol. III. Indexed

This collection level description was created by RAS using information from the original typescript catalogue.