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Posts tagged 'Colonial Office'

21
Thu Mar
2013
1

Cyprus through a lens: A woman’s work …..

Posted by Sally Hoult in Records and research

The latest batch of Colonial Office photographs from the Through a Lens series have been released on Flickr. These photos are from the Mediterranean series in CO 1069 and include pictures from Cyprus.

In 1952, both Greece and Turkey had just become members of NATO and the Greek Cypriot population were pressing for ENOSIS, which was becoming a serious international issue.

We hold a lot of records here at The National Archives regarding the political situation in Cyprus during the 1950s, but little about the social aspects of the island.

The Coronation on 2 June 1953 gave the Empire a wonderful opportunity to enjoy themselves, and the women of Cyprus were certainly no exception. The formal celebrations for this happy event lasted for a week, but while the men were doing what men in uniform do best  -

Governor inspecting the Police

Governor inspecting the police (catalogue reference: CO 1069/702)

- the photographs I was particularly drawn to show what the women liked to get involved with. These photographs I’ve chosen show a fun, lighter side of life enjoyed by them all.

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15
Fri Mar
2013

Impressions of St Helena – the early 19th century

Posted by Daniel Gilfoyle in Records and research

As early as the 17th century, St Helena’s position in the South Atlantic made it important to shipping between Western Europe and the east – a useful place where ships could take on water and supplies. Its cliffs and volcanic outcrops must have presented a fairly bleak view to sailors approaching after a long voyage.

 
Approaching St Helena, circa 1906

Approaching St Helena, circa 1906 (reference CO 1069/766)

The East India Company controlled the island from the 1650s through to 1815 (with brief Dutch interludes), when Napoleon was exiled to the island and the British government temporarily took direct control.

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14
Thu Mar
2013
2

A stamp for the Ladies or the Gentleman?

Posted by Keith Mitchell in Records and research

The latest release of pictures from Through a Lens have been made available on Flickr, and these now include Aden, from the section entitled Yemen (the modern name for the region).

Picture of the ‘Kings’ taken outside the Palace of the Sultan of Lahey

Picture of the ‘Kings’ taken outside the Palace of the Sultan of Lahey (catalogue ref: CO 1069/685/1)

The photographs include a visit by the Governor, Sir Tom Hickinbotham (catalogue ref: CO 1069/684); General views and Tribal studies (catalogue ref: CO 1069/679); and a picture of the ‘Kings’ taken outside the Palace of the Sultan of Lahey (catalogue ref: CO 1069\685, see above).

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7
Thu Mar
2013
4

Rock of ages: Gibraltar through a lens

Posted by Tommy Norton in Records and research

Today it’s the turn of the small British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar to get the ‘through a lens’ treatment. If you’ve missed previous editions, The National Archives has been gradually releasing the contents of the Colonial Office Library’s photographic collection onto Flickr over the past two years. Our hope is that the people living there today will be able to tell us a bit more about the pictures and what they depict.

Almost 200 photos of Gibraltar, from the 19th century to the middle of the 20th, have gone online today, including rare colour photographs from the turn of the century.

Panoramic View of the Rock from the Commercial Mole (top), Gibraltar 1904 (catalogue ref: CO 1069/710)

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27
Sun Jan
2013
1

Ripablik blong Vanuatu

Posted by Jenni Orme in Records and research

In 1960, the Lopevi volcano erupted in Vanuatu (then the New Hebrides), a small group of islands in the South Pacific.

During the eruption, photographs were taken of the steam rising from the sea where the lava spilled in:

'Steam caused by lava flowing into the sea at Lopevi during the eruption of July 1960' - Reece Discombe. CO 1069/671

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25
Fri Jan
2013
4

In Flickr’s page, let every stage, Advance Australia Fair…

Posted by Jenni Orme in Records and research
Tekasua, Rennell Island, British Solomons, 1935

'Tekasua, Rennell Island, British Solomons', 1935, CO 1069/660

The characters and landscapes of Australasia are the subjects of the latest ‘Through a lens’ online release today – timed perfectly for Australia Day tomorrow.

From Darwin to Tasmania, Perth to Brisbane, the people, places and projects of Australia from the 1860s to 1960s are represented in the collection, alongside smaller collections showing New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Tonga, Vanuatu and other Pacific islands.

The photographs are part of the Colonial Office collection that we have been releasing online through Flickr since 2011. In September last year I wrote about the release of the Asia collection, and the diversity shown in the Australasia photographs is just as apparent. There are, for example, beautiful images of landscapes, of the construction of Sydney Harbour Bridge, and even the All Blacks team from 1953-54. Continue reading »

28
Fri Sep
2012
5

‘Through a lens’ is back!

Posted by Jenni Orme in Records and research

On Wednesday we released ‘Asia through a lens’, the latest batch of Colonial Office photographs in the CO 1069 collection.

For those of you who aren’t familiar with the project, over the past couple of years we have been releasing parts of our CO 1069 photographic collection on Flickr. The photos are from the colonial period and feature images taken by government staff from all over the world. They range from around 1860, to when many colonies gained independence in the 1960s. You can read more about the project on my previous blog and our news story.

So far we have released images of Africa, the Americas and island territories (including the Caribbean) and the latest set released online on Wednesday are of Asia.

This set of photographs hasn’t disappointed – it is a beautifully diverse collection, with plenty of panoramic scenes, everyday life and events alongside the more unusual examples of typhoon damage, theatre performances and celebratory ‘bun mountains’! We also see a number of beautifully coloured prints that have inspired staff to order copies for themselves!

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