The British Empire Collection

Commander Dundas shooting ostriches on the plains, Jubba River, Somalia (engraving)
8631464 Commander Dundas shooting ostriches on the plains, Jubba River, Somalia (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info)

People of Manipur, India (engraving)
8631326 People of Manipur, India (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: People of Manipur, India. Illustration from Black and White)

World showing British Possessions and Dependencies (colour litho)
8652268 World showing British Possessions and Dependencies (colour litho) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: World showing British Possessions and Dependencies)

The Prince of Wales in a dugout boat on the Zambezi River (b/w photo)
8635677 The Prince of Wales in a dugout boat on the Zambezi River (b/w photo) by English Photographer, (20th century); Private Collection; (add.info)

Admiral Edward Vernon leading an attack during the War of Jenkins Ear (colour litho)
8635351 Admiral Edward Vernon leading an attack during the War of Jenkins Ear (colour litho) by Skelton, Joseph Ratcliffe (1865-1927) (after); Private Collection; (add.info)

Emperor of India (b/w photo)
8655923 Emperor of India (b/w photo) by French Photographer, (20th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Emperor of India. Postcard, early 20th century.); © Look and Learn

An empire mincemeat (b/w photo)
8657637 An empire mincemeat (b/w photo) by English Photographer, (20th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: An empire mincemeat)

Charge of the Inniskillings, Battle of the Tugela Heights, 1900 (litho)
8663991 Charge of the Inniskillings, Battle of the Tugela Heights, 1900 (litho) by Thackeray, Lance (fl.1901 d.1916); Private Collection; (add.info.: Charge of the Inniskillings)

Harbour of Hong Kong (b/w photo)
8673184 Harbour of Hong Kong (b/w photo) by English Photographer, (20th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Harbour of Hong Kong)

People of Zanzibar seeking justice at the court of Lloyd Mathews (litho)
8673177 People of Zanzibar seeking justice at the court of Lloyd Mathews (litho) by English School, (20th century); Private Collection; (add.info)

Photocard, 1930s: Sydney (coloured photo)
8671679 Photocard, 1930s: Sydney (coloured photo) by English Photographer, (20th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Sydney)

Newfoundland fisheries - close of the season (engraving)
8676943 Newfoundland fisheries - close of the season (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Newfoundland fisheries - close of the season)

Sir John Lawrence receiving the Freedom of the City of London (engraving)
8676877 Sir John Lawrence receiving the Freedom of the City of London (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info)

Silver vase presented to Captain T E Rogers, former Superintendent of the Bengal Marine (engraving)
8676790 Silver vase presented to Captain T E Rogers, former Superintendent of the Bengal Marine (engraving) by English School

Interior, Exchange Hall, Madras, India (engraving)
8676767 Interior, Exchange Hall, Madras, India (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Interior, Exchange Hall, Madras, India)

Robert Montgomery, British colonial administrator (engraving)
8676745 Robert Montgomery, British colonial administrator (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Robert Montgomery (1809-1887), British colonial administrator

Malta and its harbours (engraving)
8676676 Malta and its harbours (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Malta and its harbours)

Manufacture of Indian cashmere shawls (engraving)
8676629 Manufacture of Indian cashmere shawls (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Manufacture of Indian cashmere shawls)

Toronto, Canada (engraving)
8676489 Toronto, Canada (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Genral view of Toronto, Ontario, Canada)

Harbour of Hong Kong (engraving)
8676441 Harbour of Hong Kong (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Harbour of Hong Kong)

The last Shift (engraving)
8677187 The last Shift (engraving) by English School, (18th century) (after); Private Collection; (add.info.: The last Shift)

British Empire colonial and Indian troops attending the Coronation of King Edward VII (b/w photo)
8672152 British Empire colonial and Indian troops attending the Coronation of King Edward VII (b/w photo) by English Photographer

Sir Charles Trevelyan, British colonial administrator (engraving)
8676993 Sir Charles Trevelyan, British colonial administrator (engraving) by Watkins, John (fl.1840-75) (after); Private Collection; (add.info.: Sir Charles Trevelyan, British colonial administrator)

Trincomalee, Ceylon (engraving)
8676321 Trincomalee, Ceylon (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Trincomalee, Ceylon, site of the wreck of the P & O steamship Ava)

Indian court of justice, Bengal (engraving)
8676319 Indian court of justice, Bengal (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Native court of justice, Bengal, India)

Bahadur Shah Zafar, last Mughal Emperor of India (engraving)
8676313 Bahadur Shah Zafar, last Mughal Emperor of India (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Bahadur Shah Zafar (1775-1862), last Mughal Emperor of India

Banquet for General Sir Archdale Wilson at the Oriental Club, London (engraving)
8676396 Banquet for General Sir Archdale Wilson at the Oriental Club, London (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info)

Court of Proprietors, East India House, London (engraving)
8676371 Court of Proprietors, East India House, London (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Court of Proprietors, East India House, London)

Museum of East India House, London (engraving)
8676369 Museum of East India House, London (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Museum of East India House, London)

Wajid Ali Shah, last King of Awadh, India (engraving)
8676419 Wajid Ali Shah, last King of Awadh, India (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Wajid Ali Shah (1822-1887), last King of Awadh, India

Edward Henry Stanley, Lord Stanley, British politician (engraving)
8676418 Edward Henry Stanley, Lord Stanley, British politician (engraving) by Pound, Daniel John. (fl.1860); Private Collection; (add.info.: Edward Henry Stanley, Lord Stanley (1826-1893)

Lord Clive Signing the first Indian Treaty, 1765 (engraving)
8676375 Lord Clive Signing the first Indian Treaty, 1765 (engraving) by West, Benjamin (1738-1820) (after); Private Collection; (add.info.: The signing of the Treaty of Allahabad, 1765)

Exhibits in the United Service Institution, London (engraving)
8676360 Exhibits in the United Service Institution, London (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Exhibits in the United Service Institution, London)

Sydney College, New South Wales, Australia (engraving)
8677145 Sydney College, New South Wales, Australia (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Sydney College, New South Wales, Australia)

Columbia Street, New Westminster, British Columbia, Canada (engraving)
8677138 Columbia Street, New Westminster, British Columbia, Canada (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Columbia Street, New Westminster, British Columbia)

Thomas Carr, English clergyman (engraving)
8676920 Thomas Carr, English clergyman (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Thomas Carr (1788-1859), English clergyman, Bishop of Bombay

Charles Ledger, British alpaca farmer (engraving)
8676950 Charles Ledger, British alpaca farmer (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Charles Ledger (1818-1905)

Sir John Lawrence, 1st Baron Lawrence, British colonial administrator (engraving)
8677025 Sir John Lawrence, 1st Baron Lawrence, British colonial administrator (engraving) by Pound, Daniel John. (fl.1860); Private Collection; (add.info.: Sir John Lawrence)

Oxford cricket team at Peppering House, Burpham, Sussex, 1876 (b/w photo)
8676008 Oxford cricket team at Peppering House, Burpham, Sussex, 1876 (b/w photo) by English Photographer, (20th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Oxford cricket team at Peppering House)

Gibraltar (engraving)
8676824 Gibraltar (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Gibraltar. Illustration from The Illustrated News of the World, 2 July 1859.); © Look and Learn

Gold box in which the Freedom of the City of London was presented to Sir John Lawrence (engraving)
8676798 Gold box in which the Freedom of the City of London was presented to Sir John Lawrence (engraving) by English School

Sir Harry Smith, British general (engraving)
8676784 Sir Harry Smith, British general (engraving) by Pound, Daniel John. (fl.1860); Private Collection; (add.info.: Sir Harry Smith (1787-1860), British general and colonial governor

Great Victoria Bridge, Montreal, Canada (engraving)
8676734 Great Victoria Bridge, Montreal, Canada (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Great Victoria Bridge, tubular bridge over the St Lawrence River)

Picture gallery, Hobart, Tasmania (engraving)
8676710 Picture gallery, Hobart, Tasmania (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Picture gallery, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia, 1858)

Sir James Brooke, Rajah of Sarawak (engraving)
8676621 Sir James Brooke, Rajah of Sarawak (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Sir James Brooke (1803-1868), British soldier, adventurer

Departure of Major-General John Eardley Inglis for India (engraving)
8676615 Departure of Major-General John Eardley Inglis for India (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info)

Victoria, Vancouver Island, Canada (engraving)
8676577 Victoria, Vancouver Island, Canada (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Victoria, Vancouver Island, Canada)

Bungalow of Sir James Brooke, Sarawak, Borneo (engraving)
8676565 Bungalow of Sir James Brooke, Sarawak, Borneo (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Bungalow of Sir James Brooke, Sarawak, Borneo)

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The British Empire was once the largest empire in history, spanning across continents and oceans. From India to Australia, Canada to Africa, the sun never set on this vast imperial power. It was a time of exploration, conquest, and colonization as Britain sought to expand its influence around the world. But with great power came great responsibility - and controversy. The empire's legacy is one of both triumphs and tragedies; it brought advancements in technology, governance, and trade but also exploitation, oppression, and cultural erasure. Despite its eventual decline and dissolution in the mid-20th century, the impact can still be felt today. Its former colonies continue to grapple with issues of identity, independence, and development shaped by their colonial past. Whether viewed through a lens of pride or shame, admiration or criticism, there is no denying that the British Empire left an indelible mark on global history - for better or for worse.