A black and white landscape photographs of five British sailors sat in single-seater pulled rickshaws, with the five Sri Lankan rickshaw operators stood in front. The rickshaw operators are dressed in a varity of clothes, several wearing sarong-like garments, and each man holds the shafts of his vehicle. The sailors are all in uniform, including flap collars and broad-brimmed hats. Trees and other topical vegetation can be seen behind the group. Original caption: ‘A pretty Jinrikisha Party at Kandy, Ceylon. 7/10/19’

Rickshaw operators performed low-paid, difficult work that reduced their life expectancy. Rickshaws are thought to have originated in Japan in the late 1800s, where they were called ‘jinrikisha’. This photograph shows human-powered rickshaws, which were later superseded across Asia by cycle rickshaws and motorised rickshaws, the latter in use across Sri Lankan roads today.

European sailors, like other visitors, often had their photographs taken in rickshaws around the world and kept the images as souvenirs.