A frontier pass, 1919 circa (b/w photo)

A frontier pass, 1919 circa. Photograph by Randolph Bezzant Holmes (1888-1973), 3rd Afghan War (1919). Holmes was a commercial photographer who continued the photographic business established by his father William Holmes in Peshawar in the 1890s. The firm continued until the 1940s and was best known for its views of the people and places of the North West Frontier of British India. Holmes also took a fine series of photographs during the 3rd Afghan War (1919) that provide us with one of our best visual records of the campaign. In this image he has positioned a local tribesmen in one of the frontier passes. From an album of 43 photographs, 1920 circa-1925 compiled by Major G A Clarke, 12th Pioneers (The Kelat-i-Ghilzie Regiment), and 2nd Bn 2nd Bombay Pioneers.