More than 100 valuable paintings and sketches from the Zulu War are likely to sell for about R760 000 when they are put on sale in London today.
The collection of more than 120 works by British soldier William Whitelocke Lloyd, depict the army's campaign against the Zulus in 1879, during which, at Isandlwana, the British military suffered one of its most devastating colonial defeats in its history.
Dr Gabriel Heaton of Sotheby's auction, where the collection will be sold today, said that although Lloyd was a serving British soldier, based at Helpmekaar in South Africa, he was probably given unofficial permission to document the conflict.
The 100 watercolours, 24 pen and ink and pencil sketches and one photo of a Zulu warrior, will be auctioned as one lot.
Lloyd captured the aftermath of the battle of Isandlwana in which 1 300 British soldiers were killed by a 20 000-strong Zulu army. To draw attention from the humiliation of Isandlwana, the British focused on the heroic defence of Rorke's Drift, which began a few hours later.
Lloyd was born in Ireland and attended Magdalen College, Oxford, but after failing his final exams he joined the army.
Source: Sunday Times via I-Net Bridge.