Album containing photographs and other material. During November 1919 - March 1920 Margaret Best visited India where a brother, the Hon. James William Best (1882-1960) was a forestry officer. She travelled on the Peninsular and Oriental ship 'Kaisar-i-Hind' which sailed from London for Bombay on 10 October 1919, probably joining it at Marseilles. It is likely that her travelling companion was Miss Barbara Villiers, daughter of Ernest Villiers, M.P. and Elaine (née Guest) sister of Lady Chelmsford, the Viceroy's wife. She appears in several photographs and was a bridesmaid to the Viceroy's daughter at her wedding in March 1920 (see 85-87). They returned from India in S.S. 'Morea', which left Bombay on 27 March. While in India Miss Best was frequently a guest at viceregal functions in Delhi and a member of the official party of the viceroy, Lord Chelmsford, on visits to other localities. The album - perhaps better described as a scrap-book - comprises snapshots, official group photographs, press cuttings, postcards, invitations, dinner party menus and table plans, and engagement diaries, all relating to the events of her stay in India and the outward and homeward voyages.

Photographs, whether snapshots, postcards or press cutting, are numbered from 1 to 103, with five additions (33a, 54a-56a and 81a) overlooked in the original numbering. Non-photographic items are not numbered. This album is more valuable for the reflection of Viceregal life in its miscellaneous items than for its photographic quality. Few of the prints are captioned, many are small and of inferior quality; postcards and items from printed works (indicated by 'from a publication') are included. There are however some interesting items; the groups, chiefly with identifications and a few larger prints.