A photograph album with black/blue board covers, containing 216 photographs pasted in, with 2 portrait photographs being loose. The fly leaf is inscribed wiith "Rodolf Thompson, Christmas 1900, Photographs".

This album relates to the naval service of Commander John Rodolph Thompson (1892-1965) between 1909 and 1916. Ships represented include HMS Cornwall (1902), HMS Hibernia (1905), HMS Hermes (1898) and HMS Astraea (1893) as well as many photographs of officers, crew (and pets) working and enjoying shipboard life. Places include Spain, the Cape Station and Zanzibar and the German Kaiser's yacht Meteor at Kiel.

Thompson was born 9th August 1892 in Dorset of an Indian Army family. He entered the Royal Navy in 1905. He was promoted to Midshipman 1910, Sub-Lieutenant 1913, Lieutenant 1915 and Lieutenant-Commander 1923. He became an Instructor RNVR in 1932 and retired at his own request in 1935 with the rank of Commander. According to the 1939 Register in that year he was an Accountant Officer, RAF and his service record states he had a commission with the RAFVR as a Flight Lieutenant. He returned to the retired list in 1947. The captain of HMS Cornwall (1902) during 1909 was Reginald ‘Blinker’ Hall (later Director of Naval Intelligence) who conducted intelligence missions during the ship’s visit to Kiel. The Duke of Westminster’s motorboat was used by him to take covert photographs of installations.