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Collection Citation:
William Mitchell Trial Scrapbooks, Acc. 1992.0013, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
2 Albumen prints (image 23 x 29 cm., mounted 31 x 40 cm)
Container:
Box 1, Folder 6, Item 1
Type:
Archival materials
Photographs
Albumen prints
Place:
India
Date:
circa 1860s
Scope and Contents:
Two prints mounted to the same board. The first photograph, 25.1, depicts a man posing with no less than 21 stuffed bovid heads, leopard pelts, and pelts of another animal, potentially a bear. The image is dated in to 1875 in the caption. The second photograph, 25.2, is of ten unidentified men. Their connection to the hunter in 25.1 is unkown, but they may be attendants who accompanied him on his hunts.
Biographical / Historical:
Shikar, or trophy hunting, was a popular pastime in colonial India. The sport was introduced by members of the British ruling class and was an extension of the tradition of hunting as a leisure sport. On the hunt, the British sportsmen would be accompanied by many native attendants. The popularity of the activity led to the creation of many taxidermy shops in India.
Collection Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.
Collection Rights:
Permission to publish, quote, or reproduce must be secured from the repository.