Hand-coloured woodcut from the "The Graphic", 1879, original, with mount suitable for framing, 39.6 cms x 48.6 cms, condition: very good.
The woodcut is entitled
"The Zulu War - John Dunn examining a Zulu prisoner"
John Robert Dunn (1834 1895) was a South African settler, hunter, and diplomat of British descent.
Born in Port Alfred in 1834, he spent his childhood in Port Natal/Durban. He was orphaned as a teenager, and lived in native dress on the land near the Tugela River. His conversance with Zulu customs and language allowed for increasing influence among Zulu princes. He was able to identify and exploit various opportunities for trade. He represented both colonial and Zulu interests, and rose to some influence and power when King Cetshwayo became the Zulu sovereign. He acted as Cetshwayo's secretary and diplomatic adviser and was rewarded with chieftainship, land, livestock and two Zulu virgins. In the run-up to the Zulu War, he was served with an ultimatum by the British at the same time as Cetshwayo. He had to forgo any position of neutrality and sided with the British. In the aftermath, he was allocated land in a buffer zone between the colony and Zululand. Besides his first wife Catherine, he took many Zulu women as wives and left a large Christian progeny when he died at age 60, or 61.
The Anglo-Zulu War was fought from January to early July 1879 between forces of the British Empire and the Zulu Kingdom. Two famous battles of the war were the Zulu victory at Isandlwana and the British defence at Rorke's Drift.
The Graphic was a British weekly illustrated newspaper, first published on December 4th, 1869 and was set up as a rival to the popular Illustrated London News.
Amongst others, there is also a portrait of Captain Wyatt-Edgell Edmond Verney of the 17th Lancers who was killed in action aty the Battle of Ulundi on the 4th July 1879. This page was printed less than a month later on the 2nd August, 1879.
PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS ITEM IS SEALED UNDER PROTECTIVE WRAP AND WAS IMAGED AS SUCH.
