Photograph of ostriches standing in a corner of yard with mountains in the background.

On March 2nd Prince Albert Victor and George visited an Ostrich Farm in Mulder's Vley in South Africa, which may be the one seen in this photograph. A number of pages were devoted to the description of ostrich farming in the published account of the Prince's voyage on the Bacchante and in relation to their visit to an ostrich farm. The Princes observed that 'Ostrich-farming does not afford a good prospect to men of small capital. In addition to the capital for fencing and land, a considerable sum is required for the 'stock'. A male ostrich costs from 80l to 100l and half grown broods sell for 15l. each chick.' Source: The Cruise of Her Majesty's Ship Bacchante 1879-1882 (1886).      

This is a photograph from one of the nine albums compiled following Prince Albert Victor (1864-92) and Prince George of Wales' (1865-1936) world tour aboard HMS Bacchante from 1879 to 1882. The photographs were collected by their chaperon and tutor, John Neale Dalton.

The majority of the images in these albums are topographical views and architectural studies, loosely arranged according to the group’s itinerary. They include photographs of artefacts, local people and public figures, as well as portraits of the princes taken during the tour. The attempt to recreate the experience of a journey through such an assortment of images is common to many amateur travelling albums of this period. In 1886, some of the photographs in the albums were reproduced as engravings in the published accounts of the voyage, The Cruise of Her Majesty's Ship Bacchante, 1879-1882.