Faviell Collection of Ceylon [i.e. Sri Lanka] Railway views, 1867

Collection of albumen prints mounted on cards, mostly by Slinn and Co. (viz W.L.H. Skeen and Co.). Two of these photographs (of the Darporee viaduct) relate to Faviell's years in India and the remainder to the construction and opening of the Colombo-Kandy line.

William Frederick Faviell (1822-1902) was a contractor working on the Great Indian Peninsular Railway from 1851. He later secured the contract to build the Colombo-Kandy railway in Ceylon (1863-1867).

Unless restrictions apply, the collection is open for consultation by researchers using the Manuscripts Reading Room at Cambridge University Library. For further details on conditions governing access please contact mss@lib.cam.ac.uk. Information about opening hours and obtaining a Cambridge University Library reader's ticket is available from the Library's website (www.lib.cam.ac.uk).

Given by Captain Douglas Faviell, R.N., in February 1940.

Includes index.

A catalogue of the collection can be found on ArchiveSearch.

This collection is available on microfiche: South Asia, fiche number 87.

good condition unless specified otherwise.

A list of the Faviell Collection can be found in: Simpson, Donald H. ed., 'The manuscript catalogue of the library of the Royal Commonwealth Society', (London, 1975). Simpson, Donald H. ed. (1978), 'Railway pioneering in Asia', The Royal Commonwealth Society, Library Notes, New Series no. 203, p.1-3. Quotations not otherwise attributed are from 'The Colombo and Kandy Railway: an account of a trip … on Friday, April 5th, 1867', (Colombo, 1867).

This item level description was entered by NE and MJC using information from the original typescript catalogue.

Faviell, William Frederick, 1822-1902, railway engineer