Kuwait in Postcards / Le Koweit en Cartes Postales

A very valuable historical and photographic resource. Original gilt-titled green cloth in illustrated jacket 24x29x5cm. (2), 906pp printed on heavy glossy paper, illustrated throughout with postcards reproduced to actual size or close to, in their original colour or b/w, reproducing both fronts and backs (several postally used, displaying their messages and stamps), with facing descriptions and texts in English, French and Arabic. Covers very good, worn to the spine head. Interiors near fine with some marking to the edge of the text block. Jacket good, with creasing and short closed tears to the edges, and some loss to the spine ends. These were taken from the collection of Ali Gholoum Ali Rais. They are organised into 8 sections: 1. Early Stages (Kuwait City, maritime activities, Gates, the British Army) / 2. Mosques and Palaces (including Dasman, Seif, Sheikh Abdullah Al-Jaber al-Sabah, and Al Salam) / 3. Sea and Desert (among them Failaka Island, Kuwait Harbour, falconry) / 4. National Festivals (military parades, folklore dances (Al-Ardhah), city decorations, other) / 5. Markets and Business (Safat Square, Souks, Banks, Hotels, Fahd al-Salem Street, Cinemas) / 6. Public Services (Police and security, beginnings of education, hospitals, post office, guidance and information building, National Assembly and Municipality building) / 7. Oil and Ahmadi City (including Kuwait Oil Company postcards) / and Different snapshots of Kuwait's past including multi-view and uncategorised cards. They date during the 1920s-70s. Among the earliest are a series of British Army cards from 1928 featuring Kuwaiti Sheikhs, the British Political Agent, officers and troops, Bedouin cavalry, Kuwaitis dancing Ardha, defended battlements, armoured cars, installations at Dasman Palace, etc. British forces were landed here during Feb-April to protect against the Ikhwan Revolt, following heavy Kuwaiti losses during the Battle of Al-Regea, along with 6 RAF pilots. Scarce.