| Administrative History | Arthur Leslie Spence was born in Kettering in 1889, the son of Arthur Spence, cabinet maker. Before the outbreak of World War I, he worked as a furniture salesman in the town. During the war, he served as a private in campaigns from 1914 to 1918 in Afghanistan, Persia (now Iran) and areas of India which are now part of Pakistan. He was an enthusiastic amateur photographer.
The whole collection of more than 500 photographs is very interesting because archives of these campaigns are scarce, but of even greater importance are the photos showing daily life in the local communities. A market gardener with his family, scenes of street barbers and professional scribes in bazaars, women workers on the roads and in the sugar cane fields, carpet weaving in villages in Persia and Afghanistan are just a few examples.
Private Spence was part of a radio communication (then called wireless telegraphy) unit and many photos show him and his comrades encamped with their bulky equipment. There is also an uncommon photograph of military aeroplanes on the Frontier in 1916 , probably one of the first times they were used in India. The photos also show a strong sense of camaraderie amongst the troops. In one scene a Gurkha is showing a group of British soldiers how to make chapatis.
One series relates to an expedition to quell rebel tribesmen in Baluchistan, now part of Pakistan, and gives a very vivid picture of what travelling was like in this historically important but bleak frontier region.
Mr Spence married in Chesterfield in 1921. He died in 1951, at the age of 62. |
| Custodial History | Donated by a family member in 2003 |