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(The Great Highway of Central Asia – London Illustrated Daily, 1885)
Among the features of Pilgrims on the Silk Road I am proud of are the woodcuts, photos and maps that help illustrate the story. The entire project was an international effort. Rounding up the images is a prime example of this.
(Church at Ak Metchet, 1906)
Woodcuts illustrating the Russian invasion of Khiva came from an antique print dealer in the United Kingdom (pp. 54, 60, etc.). Extremely rare images of Ak Metchet taken by the Swiss adventurer Ella Maillart came from the Musée de l’Elysée in Lausanne, Switzerland (p. 212). The Canadian family of one of the refugees who fled to Khiva contributed a photo of their grandfather while he was on the run from Soviet authorities (p.212).
(Islam Khodja, Divan-Begi of Khiva. Khodja was a Muslim reformer and friend of the Mennonites. He was assassinated in 1913.)
Descendants of the 1880’s trek now living in Minden and Bielefeld, Germany kindly shared photographs of key figures in the story. My contacts in Uzbekistan helped locate images that help illustrate the close relationship between the Khivans and the Ak Metchet Mennonites. Other key images came from the Mennonite Library and Archives at Bethel College (KS), and relatives of the Ak Metchet Mennonites living in California.
In all, there are more than 50 photos, illustration and maps in the book. I hope you enjoy them.
Click here to order a copy of Pilgrims on the Silk Road