Russell Hamilton Postcard and Photograph Collection

Assembled by English petty officer Russell Hamilton (d. 1911) during his voyages made prior to 1909, likely for the British Merchant Marines, documenting images of China, Egypt, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Kuwait, Oman, Madagascar, Mauritius, Seychelles, Somalia, Sri Lanka, and Yemen. The items date from between the late 1890's and 1909.The 183 photographic postcards are both black and white and hand-tinted with many captions in English created for Western audiences They were produced by various publishers, among whom Clifton & Co. The 10 silver prints depict people in daily activities, culture groups, street scenes, city views, architectural monuments and landscapes.

FSA A2001.13

Hamilton, Russell, d. 1911

China -- Description and Travel

Egypt -- description and travel

Hong Kong -- Description and Travel

India -- description and travel

Japan -- Description and Travel

Kuwait

Oman

Somalia

Sri Lanka -- 1890-1920

Yemen

Originally given to Hamilton's wife, Ethyl Mary Hadwen Hamilton, as souvenirs of his trips. After her death, her daughter, Mary Shepherd Slusser, received them and in 2001 subsequentlly donated them to the Freer/Sackler in. 49 postcards depicting Madagascar, Mauritius, and the Seychelles were then transferred to the Eliot Elisofon Archives at the National Museum of African Art in February, 2002.

Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Postcards

Photographs

Russell Hamilton Postcard and Photograph Collection, FSA.A2001.13. National Museum of Asian Art Archives. Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. Gift of Mary Shepherd Slusser, 2002.

The postcards are organized by geographic location.

Permission to publish, quote, or reproduce must be secured from the repository.

Postcards

Photographs

Collection is open for research.