IDNO

P.9740.ACH1

Description

On Catalogue Card: "Palms, Seychelles." [typed text, circa 1935]

View of two Coco de Mer palm trees, with probably the base of a flag pole in the foreground, and two cannons with piles of cannon balls pointing away from a cleared area, which is probably the grounds Government House. [JD 16/01/2026]

Place

E Africa; Indian Ocean; Seychelles

Cultural Affliation

Named Person

Photographer

?Playfair, Lambert (Colonel)

Collector / Expedition

?Playfair, Lambert (Colonel)

Date

circa 1865

Collection Name

Mounted Haddon Collection

Source

Format

Print Black & White Mounted

Primary Documentation

Other Information

Related Image: Same image in the Sue Hopson Seychelles collection with the caption: "Seychelles.
Coco de Mer."
The album also contains a photograph of Government House, which shows a similar flag pole in front of the building.
The following information is provided for the album: "A very fine collection of 25 photographs taken by Colonel Lambert Playfair, and possibly others, during the visit to the Seychelles by Governor Sir Henry Barkly and his entourage, c. 1865, albumen prints mounted on the rectos of 7 album leaves, the largest 4 photographs 17 x 21.5 cm, the others mostly carte-de-visite sizes but with four 9.5 x 8 cm and similar, the largest four mounted singly (4), the others arranged in threes (2), including one sheet with a fourth photograph (16.5 x 12 cm) to verso, one sheet with six and one with seven photos, all with pen and ink with watercolour and gilt border decorations with neat captions, most images with strong tonal range, sheet sizes 28.5 x 23 cm, preserved in a bespoke modern blue half calf gilt book box." [Source: https://www.dominicwinter.co.uk/Auction/Lot/lot-42---seychelles-a-very-fine-collection-of-25-photographs-taken-by-colonel-lambert-playfair-and-others/?lot=418230&so=4&st=seychelles&sto=0&au=&ef=&et=&ic=False&sd=1&pp=48&pn=1&g=1, JD 16/01/2026]