British Pathe

Afghanistan scenes. 1910s (?)

Tracking shot from car/train; of semi-desert landscape with scrubby foliage. Then shot from boatlooking across lake (Ab-i-Istada?) toward mountains in distance. Many men on deck; looking ahead. Side view cargo ship. Port on lake seen from water; buildings squeezed...

Afghanistan scenes. 1910s (?)

Tracking shot from car/train; of semi-desert landscape with scrubby foliage. Then shot from boatlooking across lake (Ab-i-Istada?) toward mountains in distance. Many men on deck; looking ahead. Side view cargo ship. Port on lake seen from water; buildings squeezed between harbour in FG and mountains in BG. Next; pan on old wall; small tower. Westerner and 2 Afghan VIPs sit at table; a few others on ground beside it. More Afghans sit in semicircle facing table; some of these walk up 1 at a time & each is given some document. One man looks like T. E. Lawrence but perhaps it is some other Englishman who dresses like an Arab. More shots of hilly terrain. Pan on small group of low; box-like buildings; a few Afghans walk past. Military HQ? Flagpole flying Union Jack (Britain controlled Afghanistan's foreign affairs from 1907-1919 so may have had something to do with the military. In 1919 Afghanistan achieved full independence after 3rd Afghan War;) Shot from high spot looking over ancient town; with foothills rising

Afghanistan; various locations etc. Part of 15 rolls shot in A.c. 1910s (?) Market produce stall; with much fruit on display. Western man at stall; then leaves. Afghan man stands holding scale; w/ a big melon or gourd as weight on one end. Next; group of men stand near small table where another man sits writing or signing papers. Next scene is difficult to describe having no idea of what it is: on shore of lake; giant wide double arches c. 15-20' high; Underneath arches some poles both vertical and diagonal; a bunch of men doing something down by this thing. Construction? Closer shot of same. Then shot from high over fields; some structures and walls; hills; mountains. Ruins on a giant rock with more rocky hills / mountains in BG. Pan alongside canal? ornamental trees in FG. MS two men. Westerner and Afghan. Various livestock; horses; beside road . Man outside house looking at potted plants and flowers sitting on a wall with pattern of holes like honeycomb- -looks a very pleasant place. Shots of palace from distance. LS of tiger in cage eating. MS of wolf in cage. LS of large birds flying.