From Kashmir to Kabul: The Photographs of Burke and Baker, 1860-1900 [Hardcover]

Omar A. Khan (Author), F. S. Aijazuddin (Preface)

Book Description

Series: Photography S. | Publication Date: December 2002

As international events draw attention to the people and landscapes of Afghanistan and Pakistan, images of these war-torn countries are becoming increasingly familiar. The harsh beauty of the region has been luring photographers since the Victorian age, the most famous of whom were William Baker and John Burke. Their photographs of the "Great Game" - a phrase coined by Rudyard Kipling for the power struggles of British and Russian imperialism - were an inspiration to the writer, and remain some of the most poignant images of the British Empire. This work seeks to piece together the remarkable careers of Baker and Burke. No photographers of the Raj era witnessed more wars, discoveries, news events and human diversity than did these two Irishmen. Few encountered more adverse conditions, hauling heavy equipment and glass plates over steep mountain ranges, and mixing chemicals at dangerously high altitudes, than Baker and Burke. Based on research, this text chronicles the early days in Peshawar and their move to Muree, the Himalayan hill station on the border of Kashmir. It follows their documenting of the Afghan Wars, some of the earliest war photography, and their return to the plains of Lahore, where they continued to photograph the region's people and landscape. Baker and Burke's story is also the story of photography itself, a medium that was evolving at a dizzying pace - as quickly as the world they sought to capture was changing.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

From Kashmir to Kabul is the first book to piece together the remarkable careers of Baker and Burke. No photographers of the Raj era witnessed more wars, discoveries, news events and human diversity than did these two Irishmen. Few encountered the kinds of adverse conditions, hauling heavy equipment and glass plates over steep mountain ranges, and mixing chemicals at dangerously high altitudes than Baker and Bourke. Based on decades of research, this book chronicles their early days in Peshawar and their move to Muree, the Himalayan hill station on the border of Kashmir. It follows their documenting of the Afghan Wars, some of the earliest war photography, and their return to the plains of Lahore, where they continued to photograph the region’s people and landscape. Baker and Burke’s story is also the story of photography itself, a medium that was evolving at a dizzying pace—as quickly as the world they sought to capture was changing.

About the Author

Omar A. Khan has been researching Raj photography for over 10 years. He founded Harappa.com, an award-winning South Asian history website, and is President of an Internet services firm in San Francisco. A native of Pakistan, he is a graduate of Dartmouth College, Columbia and Stanford Universities.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 208 pages
• Publisher: Prestel Publishing (December 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 3791327860
• ISBN-13: 978-3791327860
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 9.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,204,503 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #84 in Books > Travel > Asia > Afghanistan

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Visual Presence, August 19, 2005

By 

Chai Trek "roosting chicken" (ithaca, NY, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: From Kashmir to Kabul: The Photographs of Burke and Baker, 1860-1900 (Hardcover)

This is an exceptional book, with both beautiful photographs and rigorously well-researched text. Many of the stories and facts the author uncovers about the photographs serve as little mysteries solved and served on a silver platter. Most photography books have beautiful pictures and little text; this book has both great pictures and meaningful text that help fix the importance of the photos in our mind.
Together, these shed much needed light on the rich history of northwestern India, Pakistan and Afghanistan - a history that is hardly known or talked about. A real pleasure to read and look at, this is the best book in my historical photography collection.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful book with excellent commentary, December 20, 2002

By 

Ayesha Khan (Karachi, Pakistan) - See all my reviews

This review is from: From Kashmir to Kabul: The Photographs of Burke and Baker, 1860-1900 (Hardcover)

I was so surprised to see such lovely pictures of Pakistan and Afghanistan, including places I grew up in like Lahore and Murree. The narrative is really interesting, and tells so much about the history that I did not know or realize. The photographs are truly amazing.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing journey into the past, January 3, 2003

By 

Akbar Dehlvi (New York, United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: From Kashmir to Kabul: The Photographs of Burke and Baker, 1860-1900 (Hardcover)

Such a literate, well-written photography book I have not seen before. Beautiful images that tell the story of Afghanistan, Pakistan and Kashmir during the 19th century. An excellent selection of pictures, told like a story.