Previously-unseen photographs from a soldier documenting the Irish hostilities of the 1920s have come to light a century later in a fascinating album which includes a chilling image of a man standing in front of a firing squad.
In the image, captured during the Irish civil war, six men are seen pointing their weapons at an unknown IRA revolutionary fighter, who is stood with his arms folded.
The caption simply states: 'Firing squad - execution of a prisoner, Cork 1922.'
Other pictures include the alarming sight of a boy in uniform holding a gun next to an adult combatant, a soldier standing beside a Slievenamon armoured car and soldiers at Youghal barracks in County Cork.
The collection of 200 images belonged to Private Dermot Foley of the Irish Defence Force.
Private Foley joined up aged 17 to fight the British and his records say he was 'honest, sober, industrious and of very good character'. After leaving the army in 1927, he emigrated to the US on White Star Line's RMS Baltic.
Previously-unseen photographs from a soldier documenting the Irish hostilities of the 1920s have come to light a century later in a fascinating album which includes a chilling image of a man standing in front of a firing squad (above). The caption on the execution image simply states: 'Firing squad - execution of a prisoner, Cork 1922'
The collection of 200 images belonged to Private Dermot Foley of the Irish Defence Force. They also show a man with a bayonet pointed at him (above) and street parades
This image of soldiers standing while others watch from a doorway is one of 200 images, mostly taken in 1921 and 1922
The alarming sight of a boy in uniform holding a gun next to an adult combatant features among the photos in the collection
He settled in Chicago working for the Bell Telephone Company, and his archive also contains postcards of Irish revolutionary soldier and politician Michael Collins, a leading figure in the Irish independence struggle.
After passing down several generations of his family, it is now being sold by auctioneers Bonhams with a guide price of £800 to £1,200 at auction in London's Knightsbridge tomorrow.
The Black and Tans were British men who were recruited into the Royal Irish Constabulary as reinforcements during the Irish War of Independence.
Many of these new recruits were veterans of the First World War. In total, around 14,000 of these men enlisted to boost the numbers of the RIC.
The men gained their nickname from the colours of the makeshift uniforms they wore, which were a mixture of the RIC's standard black-looking dark green and the British Army's khaki.
The Black and Tans are still popularly remembered for brutality and the way in which they allegedly militarised a local police force.
They also became notorious for reprisal attacks on civilians, as well as extrajudicial killings. Their actions are believed to have swayed Irish public opinion against British rule.
Matthew Haley, books specialist at Bonhams, said: 'We believe many of the photos are previously unseen and they document a fascinating period of history.
'Private Foley fought against the
