Description:

Lot 145. A COLLECTION OF PHOTOGRAPHS FROM SAUDI ARABIA, IRAQ, THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES AND OTHER LOCATIONS IN THE MIDDLE EAST
Circa 1930s

A group of mounted black-and-white photographs presented on album pages, documenting scenes across the Arabian Peninsula and Mesopotamia in the early 20th century. The collection includes aerial and ground views of major archaeological and urban sites such as Baghdad, Basra, Ur, Ziggurat, and other locations along the Euphrates. Several images capture desert forts, RAF bases, and early aviation routes, while others portray local architecture, market scenes, and portraits of regional inhabitants and officials. The photographs vary in scale, each mounted within black album leaves with manuscript captions in white ink.

The images exhibit tonal richness and crisp contrast, characteristic of professional photographic prints of the interwar period. The mounting retains period annotations and perforations consistent with archival binding, the surfaces showing light handling marks indicative of age and historical use.

This photographic compilation provides a rare visual record of early modern exploration, colonial presence, and archaeological activity in the Middle East, offering documentary insight into the landscapes, settlements, and cultural contexts of the 1930s.

Length x Width of Picture: 21 x 16cm

Number of Photos Total: 33


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November 4, 2025 1:00 PM GMT
London, United Kingdom

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