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Pakistan
Across what is now Pakistan from Karachi through Balochistan to Lahore and onwards to the North West Frontier
As part of the collection we have included films shot in the west of what was then British India – and what is now Pakistan. From tantalising glimpses of Karachi in the 1940s we head north through Balochistan to Quetta and witness home movie footage of the terrible devastation wrought by the 1935 earthquake. Our journey through Punjab takes in epic footage of prayers at Lahore’s Badshahi mosque and a documentary about life in Rawalpindi in 1928. Our journey ends in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with stops in Peshawar and the Hunza Valley.
An Eastern MarketAn Eastern Market
Travelogue 1928 9 minsSilent
Documentary detailing a farmer’s visit to the market in Rawalpindi
Kagan ValleyKagan Valley
Amateur film 1931 15 mins
Amateur travelogue of the Kagan Valley and Darband, Pakistan.
Lahore - Badshahi MosqueLahore - Badshahi Mosque
Amateur film 1933 7 minsSilent
Extraordinary home movie footage of prayers in the Punjabi capital
Our Garden - JhelumOur Garden - Jhelum
Amateur film 1945 12 minsSilent
This amateur film captures Colonel and Mrs Lord's garden at Jhelum, as well as soldiers at Karachi.
Life in HunzaLife in Hunza
Amateur film 1937 11 minsSilent
Fertility rites and wine production: life in the Hunza valley in northern Pakistan.
Indian LifeIndian Life
Amateur film 1940 18 minsSilent
A motorist's excursion captures a world made by hand in the environs of Rawalpindi, Lahore and Karachi
Randolph Bezzant Holmes India FilmsRandolph Bezzant Holmes India Films
Amateur film 1919 29 minsSilent
Military occasions around India and Pakistan, featuring the Khyber Pass, Srinagar, Rawalpindi and Peshawar
India - NE and NW FrontiersIndia - NE and NW Frontiers
Amateur film 1945 17 minsSilent
Gritty images of India's northerly frontiers
Quetta Earthquake, May 31st 1935Quetta Earthquake, May 31st 1935
Amateur film 1935 10 minsSilent
Amateur footage of the devastation caused by one of South Asia's worst earthquakes
Lahore - Refugees from IndiaLahore - Refugees from India
Amateur film 1947 4 minsSilent
Millions of Muslims flee to Lahore in the newly created state of Pakistan, prompted by the partition of British India
Edward Prince of Wales' Tour of India: Peshawar, The Khyber Pass and Rawl PindiEdward Prince of Wales' Tour of India: Peshawar, The Khyber Pass and Rawl Pindi
Travelogue 1922 14 minsSilent
The future Edward VIII enjoys stunning mountain scenery on a visit to the Khyber Pass during his royal tour
Pindi EventsPindi Events
Amateur film 1940 12 minsSilent
Life in the bustling Punjabi city of Rawalpindi before partition.
The North West FrontierThe North West Frontier
Travelogue 1928 12 minsSilent
Trade and military imprints in the North West Frontier province, from Peshawar to the Khyber Pass
Through the Back Door into IndiaThrough the Back Door into India
1928 12 minsSilent
An Englishman's eccentric road trip through Iran to Pakistan
Delhi to the North West FrontierDelhi to the North West Frontier
Amateur film 1935 14 minsSilent
Amateur film featuring government buildings in Delhi, a shooting party in Malakand and winter in Abbottabad
Durbar at Lahore, 1937: Gorrie Personal Film No. 34Durbar at Lahore, 1937: Gorrie Personal Film No. 34
Amateur film 1937 17 minsSilent
The pomp and ceremony of Empire, including the Viceroy’s Durbar at the Lahore Fort
Simla Scenes: Indian Viceroy at LahoreSimla Scenes: Indian Viceroy at Lahore
Amateur film 1931 13 minsSilent
An intimate insight into the servant culture and lifestyle of the Viceroy of India and family, as they visit Simla (Shimla) and Lahore
Simla and LahoreSimla and Lahore
Amateur film 1933 12 minsSilent
Evocative observational scenes of Simla (Shimla) and Lahore, including the gorgeous Shalimar Gardens and Anarkali Bazar.
Glimpses of IndiaGlimpses of India
Travelogue 1929 31 minsSilent
Indian travelogue featuring the famous sights and rural life, from Kanyakumari (Cape Comorin) to the Khyber Pass.
Crafts of HunzaCrafts of Hunza
Amateur film 1937 10 minsSilent
A rich variety of crafts as practiced in the Hunza Valley, Kashmir.
Lahore, 1936: Gorrie Personal Film No. 37Lahore, 1936: Gorrie Personal Film No. 37
Amateur film 1936 13 minsSilent
Amateur film showing events including a Muharram procession and a military parade for the accession of King George VI
Khyber Pass; Kashmir; AgraKhyber Pass; Kashmir; Agra
Amateur film 1928 9 minsSilent
Romantic, atmospheric travelogue capturing some of northern India’s most iconic places – not least the Taj Mahal.
Waziristan Instructional FilmWaziristan Instructional Film
Amateur film 1932 10 minsSilent
Guidance for recruits arriving at the North West Frontier
Royal Visit to India and NepalRoyal Visit to India and Nepal
Non-Fiction 1922 7 minsSilent
Edward, Prince of Wales, visits India and Nepal and goes on a tiger hunt.