TOPIC:

Here we go, Rob. Both of my copies have the full caption.

It reads: A “Matter of Outposts" / Boer Outposts Exch'ing [Exchanging] Shots with / British Scouts, below the Tugela Falls".

An earlier, erased caption (below the existing title), uses the words "Boer Snipers" instead of "Boer Outposts".






Here's a similar detail from the second copy. Despite having the measles, this is a much crisper print.







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Neville, thanks for solving another mystery. This is in my opinion one of the best "Boer" photographs, albeit clearly staged. What does the .S. stand for? Who is the photographer? The picture that Rob showed was copyrighted by a certain J/.H. Hennings & Co in Hamburg and carries the text "Dieses Bild ist laut gestempeltem Original von Generalstab zur Veroffentlichung Zugelassen"(This photograph is, according to the stamp on the original ,allowed for publication by the Millitairy authorities)

Thanks, Neville!!
Everhard had kindly said he'd allow me to use the image in a publication, but yours is even better... I'll get in touch.
The white dots make it hard to discern whether the hat badge is ZAR or OVS, but the overall shape is more OVS perhaps?

Can anyone decipher the writing at the bottom of this photo? It was taken around 27-29 May 1900 in the Klipriviersberg positions near Johannesburg. It shows Cmdt Gen Louis Botha and officers in a krygsraad (council of war). I'd also love to identify some of the other men. I think the figure standing behind Botha is "Sandjie"Sandberg, Botha's secretary, though he has been identified (wrongly in my opinion) as Smuts.

Everhard,

I'm not sure who the artist was, possibly van Hoepen. Given the subject matter, it must have been taken by a Boer photographer, and I imagine the English caption was added by a British studio at a later date. I don't have any prints here with that "S", and the code "Z.4" (before the caption) is of a form I hadn't seen elsewhere until just now - the photo Rob has just posted uses the same format: "Z.10". All Middlebrook’s Boer War images have a “Q” suffix.

One of the “outposts" prints I have is on matt art paper (possibly a "carbon print"), and came with a second similar photograph (of Boers on Talana Hill) with blind embossed studio details: "The Central Studio / Reg. Sheppard, Manager". There were several Central Studios operating in the UK in 1900, but I haven't yet found one associated with a Reginald Sheppard.



Rob,

I have had a good look at that slouch hat and am not convinced it is either an OVS or a ZAR badge. It looks more like some form of rosette, possibly in shamrock form, which made me wonder whether the men could be members of the Irish Brigade.

What I can see of the caption of your last photo reads: "Boer War Council, Emergency Krygsraad held by Comd't Gen'l Louis Botha and his Officers / to discuss whether should …. [remainder cropped]"

Interestingly, this image is from the same studio as the Tugela Outposts photo (image nos Z.4 and Z.10). I think they may have both originally been by van Hoepen (with English captions added later). What do you think?


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Here is a photograph of Sandberg, taken in France in 1901 (signed 20 Jan 1902).



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