Photograph of a bridge over the Surkhab River. The stone bridge is supported by a rocky ridge to either side. Two Afghan soldiers, one carrying a gun, are standing in the river below. A number of other men are sitting on the walls of the bridge above them. The river continues to wind across the valley behind and there are mountains beyond. The photographer John Burke travelled with the Peshawar Valley Field Force during the Second Anglo-Afghan War (1878-80), one of a series of conflicts between Britain and Russia over control of Afghanistan. His images from the war capture landscapes, key strategic sites and people involved in the conflict.
From the collection of King Edward VII when Prince of Wales
