Lot No. 86: Clyde Waddell

A Yank's Memories of Calcutta

Album
1946
10.2 x 13.2 inches

Unsold (reserve not met)

Estimate

2,00,000 - 4,00,000

Estimate US$

2455-4910

Ends at Mar 01, 2023 08:25 PM IST

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Clyde Waddell

A Yank's Memories of Calcutta

Introduction by M. Charles Preston, (Houston, TX) and but circa 1946.
First Edition, Oblong small folio album, Single title leaf, 60 ll., silver gelatin photograph with typed caption. Original black cloth album.
The images in this rare album provide a brave and honest look at the life and experiences of US soldiers stationed in Calcutta. Waddell had been stationed in Calcutta as chief photographer for the Houston Press and US Army Public Relations officer with the Southeast Asian command. He was also chief photographer for Mountbatten. He took these images while on leave shortly after the Japanese surrender. Comprising mostly street scenes of everyday life in Calcutta, along with interiors of local landmarks such as temples and train stations as well as US Army headquarters, the American Red Cross Burra Club and a hotel for US Army officers, each image is captioned with two or three sentences locating and providing context for the image. Waddell also includes images of the underbelly of Calcutta such as that of a brothel and an opium den. The sixty photographs document a city of 'squalor and luxury, poverty and grandiose wealth in this land of extremes' (Preface). In the Preface provided by M. Charles Preston, we learn that Waddell 'took these pictures primarily at the behest of many friends who had been constantly asking him for photos of Calcutta scenes, Requests became so numerous and response to the effort so enthusiastic that Waddell felt compelled to make the album more generally available through fellow 'GI' agents.' Although this suggests the album might have been printed in an edition of 100 or so, the survival rate has been low. One can well imagine that they were broken up and favorite photographs from the album were framed. This is seemingly borne out by the three OCLC holdings (Texas A&M, UT Dallas, Southeastern Louisiana) another defective copy is believed to be held at UPenn.
Size: 26 x 33.6 cm (10.2 x 13.2 inches)
Very Good Condition
Provenance:

Keywords: India, Indian, Album, Calcutta, kolkata

Very Good Condition

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Lot No. 86: Clyde Waddell

A Yank's Memories of Calcutta

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Clyde Waddell

A Yank's Memories of Calcutta

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