Street View, Kandahar (1880-1881)

This photograph of a street view of Kandahar is from an album of rare historical photographs depicting people and places associated with the Second Anglo-Afghan War. A crowd seems to have gathered to watch the photographer, who is also regarded by a young boy perched on a roof. Shops, houses, and a section of the city wall are visible from this point, which is called Charsu or Char Su. It is where the main routes into Kandahar from the gates in the city walls converged. The photograph was taken during the British occupation of Kandahar, which lasted from September 1880 to April 1881.

 The crowd of men and young boys seems to have gathered to watch the photographer at work. A street vendor is selling food. His shop is adorned with beautiful traditional embroidered chadors, large scarfs worn by women as a combination of veil, shawl, and head covering.

 Men and young boys have gathered on both levels of a ruined building and in its courtyard and are observing the photographer. In the foreground is a charpoy (also seen as chaar payee), a bed frame made of woven rope used throughout Afghanistan as an outdoor bed during the hot summer. The photograph most likely was taken during the British occupation of Kandahar, which lasted from September 1880 to April 1881

Source: Library of Congress