Afridi Picket near Jumrood
1879
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
1879
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
You see a rocky hillside with a small wooden guard post perched on top, soldiers in loose uniforms lounging nearby. This photo was taken during the Second Anglo-Afghan War. Burke lugged heavy glass plates and a dark-tent into battle zones, so he couldn’t shoot fast action—just quiet moments like this. The men look relaxed, but the hill controlled a key pass into Afghanistan. If you like early war photos, look up the subject of Ireland next.
