IRAQ – Airman James JOHNSON, Royal Air Force. - photo 1
IRAQ – Airman James JOHNSON, Royal Air Force. - photo 2
IRAQ – Airman James JOHNSON, Royal Air Force. - photo 3

IRAQ – Airman James JOHNSON, Royal Air Force.

Starting price
£ 1 000
Auction dateClassic
14.12.2022 10:30UTC +01:00
Auctioneer
CHRISTIE'S
Event location
United Kingdom, London
Archive
The auction is completed. No bids can be placed anymore.
Archive
ID 870737
Lot 211 | IRAQ – Airman James JOHNSON, Royal Air Force.
IRAQ – Airman James JOHNSON, Royal Air Force.

Two photograph albums. October 1934 - November 1936 and 1944.

Two albums with photographs of Iraq taken by a British serviceman in the RAF, stationed at Hinaidi and Ser Amadia during the 1930s. The first album containing images showing the Vickers Victoria and Hawker Hardy bombers based at Hinaidi and used in the suppression of local tribal insurrections, the base's engine repair sections and engine test beds, while at the same time testifying to a vibrant community life on camp, centred around the 'White Horse Inn', concerts, the manufacture of the 'Bug' – a homemade car – and swimming parties, alongside images of local towns, architecture and people. Johnson charts his route back from Iraq to the UK with shots of Basra, Karachi, Aden, the Red Sea and Malta, before ending with a few shots of his posting to 611 (B) Squadron at Speke, Liverpool. The second album offers a detailed overview of his posting to Ser Amadia, an RAF summer training camp at 6,000-7,000 ft above sea level in the Kurdish mountains, with photos accompanied by titles and a later account in autograph.



Two albums: 1. 'Hinaidi', 148 original photographs (chiefly 161 x 205mm and 65 x 90mm) mounted on 23 leaves, 200 x 225mm. Original cloth (lacking upper cover, but using the first leaf as title cover, spine ends worn, extremities lightly rubbed); 2. 'Ser Amadia; The Tale of a Kurdish Holiday', 23 original photographs (60 x 87mm) mounted on 7 leaves, 216 x 164mm, autograph titles and accompanying account. Original cloth (upper cover stained, extremities rubbed). [With, tipped in:] an incomplete letter from Johnson, n.p., n.d., giving an account of his life in Iraq over several days, 12 pages, 250 x 200mm.

Address of auction CHRISTIE'S
8 King Street, St. James's
SW1Y 6QT London
United Kingdom
Preview
10.12.2022 – 13.12.2022
Phone +44 (0)20 7839 9060
Email
4FQ.AYGKAGLUQ@FO3G@
Buyer Premium see on Website
Conditions of purchaseConditions of purchase

Related terms

Frequently asked questions

First of all, you should register to be able to purchase at auction. After confirming your email address, enter your personal information in your user profile, such as your first name, last name, and mail address. Choose a lot from the upcoming auction and the maximum amount you want to place on it. After confirmation of your choice, we will send your application by e-mail to the appropriate auction house. If the auction house accepts a request, it will participate in the auction. You can view the current status of a bid at any time in your personal account in the "Bids" section.
Auctions are performed by auction houses and each of the auction houses describes their terms of auction. You can see the texts in the section "Auction information".
The results of the auction are published within a few days after the end of the auction. In the top menu of the site, find the tab "Auctions". Click on it and you will be on the auction catalog page, where you can easily find the category "Results". After opening it, select the desired auction from the list, enter and view the current status of the interested lot.
The information about the auction winners is confidential. The auction winner will receive a direct notification from the auction house responsible with instructions for further action: an invoice for payment and the manner in which the goods will be received.
Each of the auction houses has its own payment policy for the won lots. All auction houses accept bank transfers, most of them accept credit card payments. In the near future you will find detailed information for each case in the section "Auction information" on the page of the auction catalog and the lot.
Shipment of the won lot depends on its size. Small items can be delivered by post. Larger lots are sent by courier. Employees of the auction houses will offer you a wide range to choose from.
No. The archive serves as a reference for the study of auction prices, photographs and descriptions of works of art.