Hunting trophies, 1890 (c)

Photograph, India, 1890 (c).

Animal skins and skulls including those of bears, water buffalo, antelope, mountain goats, a and a tiger.

Hunting was a popular pastime for officers on leave in India, involving not only the tracking and stalking of the quarry, but long journeys into remote forest or mountain regions and contact with local people. In the climate of the time, the collection of trophies was considered perfectly proper and was virtually the only way of physically examining specimens: many advances in scientific knowledge were made in this way.

From an album of 62 photographs compiled by an officer of the 40th Pathans, 1890 (c).