IDNO

P.9741.ACH1

Description

On Catalogue Card: Traveller’s palm, Bougainevillea [sic Bougainville]

View of a Ravenala palm (Ravenala madagascariensis), also known as the Traveler's Palm, a distinctive, large, fan-shaped plant, located in a formal garden in Seychelles. [JD 26/01/2026]

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

Place: The Place field was previously recorded as being ‘Bougainevillea’ due to the annotation on the catalogue card, but matching it a duplicate print in Palyfair's album, shows that the photo relates to Seychelles. [JD 26/01/2026]

Related Image: Same image in the Sue Hopson Seychelles collection with the caption: "Ravenats [sic 'Ravenala']"
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]