A collection of thirty-two loose prints, measuring approximately 205 x 155 mm. and mounted on card. The majority of which are captioned and signed by the photographer. The captions have been used as titles and have been recorded as found. Titles composed by the cataloguer are enclosed in square brackets. Showing views in and around Lourenço Marques at the turn of the century, including street scenes, individual buildings and dances. At this period, the town was just starting the economic expansion which relied on the harbour of Delagoa Bay (one of the finest in East Africa) on whose western shores it lies. The town on the site dates from around 1850 when the original settlement was destroyed; in 1876 it was designated a village and in 1887 a town. Its economic potential could only be exploited from 1895 when the railway connection with Pretoria was opened and from this time onwards extensive harbour works and rebuilding were undertaken and land reclaimed from the swamp on which the town partially lies. Electric street lighting was introduced in 1898 and the Cockburn Lighthouse, which had caused considerable construction problems and whose completion added greatly to the safety of the harbour, was in use from the beginning of 1901. The central market was opened in 1903 and the tramway in 1904. Most of these photographs, however, were taken before the large scale reclamation and building work changed the face of the city.

There are several variant signatures on the prints themselves and these may well indicate different stages of the Lazarus Brothers partnership. Many are signed ‘J. Lazarus’ alone and this may be later work since the earliest prints (see print 1, taken in 1900) record both brother’s initials. It is possible that M. Lazarus left for Lisbon at an earlier date although all entries in the Delagoa Directory record both brothers. At some stage they also operated a branch in Beira although the dates of this are unknown. When they quitted Lourenço Marques, the business was sold to one Sidney Hocking who practised professionally until at least 1925 or 1926 (1926 is the latest issue of ‘The Delagoa Directory’ in the RCS library).

It is possible that the prints stamped with C. Manners' signature (prints 31-2) were not taken at Lourenço Marques.