73 albumen photo prints, some mounted, many signed and numbered in the negative and some with hadwritten penciled identifications, various sizes. A small number are hand-tinted. Images depict Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Japan and China. Subjects include portraits, people in daily activities, street scenes, city views, architecture, fauna and gardens, and landscapes. Photographers include Scowen & Co., Skeen & Co. and Samuel Bourne. Images depict architectural monuments, city and village views, and picturesque landscapes such as the Great Imambara and Mosque in Lucknow, the quadrangle of the Moti Masjid (Pearl Mosque) in Agra, the Memorial Well in Kanpur (Cawnpore), numerous views of villages, bridges and landscapes in Kashmir, and the botanical gardens at Ootacamund (Udagamandalam). There is also one photograph, an unmounted albumen print, signed and numbered in the negative, by John Edward Saché (active 1860-1880), also depicting a landscape in India. Additionally, an ethnographic portrait (unmounted albumen print) of two Sri Lankan aboriginal men titled "Veddahs" by Charles T. Scowen is included in the collection.
Arrangement:
Four flat boxes.
Biographical / Historical:
British photographer Charles T. Scowen arrived in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) in the early 1870s, where he was first employed as a clerk. By 1876, Scowen had established a studio, Scowen & Co., in Kandy, with a second location appearing in Columbo by the 1890s. There appear to have been several Scowens working in the studios, as Charles T. Scowen returned to England in 1885. C. Scowen was listed as the proprietor until 1891 and M. Scowen was the proprietor when the firm was finally sold in 1893. Images from Scowen & Co. were used to illustrate a number of books about Ceylon and the tea trade.
Skeen & Co. was a commercial photography studio active in Ceylon (Sri Lanka) from 1860-1903. In 1860, William Skeen, who was the official Government Printer, purchased J. Parting's photography studio in Colombo for his son, William Louis Henry Skeen, who had studied at the London School of Photography. In 1891 another Skeen & Co. studio was opened in Kandy. The firm was known for its images of agriculture (particularly tea and spices), industry (the construction of the Ceylon railroads and the Colombo Breakwater), landscapes and ethnic groups.
John Edward Saché (1824-1882) was an American commercial photographer, born in Prussia as Johann Edvart Zachert. He arrived in Calcutta in 1864 and for the next twenty years traveled widely in northern India, photographing major towns and sites. Saché's first professional association was with W. F. Westfield in Calcutta but he would go on to establish other studios, either alone or in partnerships, in Nainital, Bombay, Lucknow and Benares, among other locations.
Samuel Bourne (1834-1912) had already begun to earn recognition for his work in England, having exhibited at the London International Exhibition of 1862, when he decided to give up his position in a bank and depart for India to work as a professional photographer. He arrived in Calcutta early in 1863, initially setting up a partnership with William Howard. They moved up to Simla, where they established a new studio Howard & Bourne, to be joined in 1864 by Charles Shepherd, to form Howard, Bourne & Shepherd. By 1866, after the departure of Howard, it became Bourne & Shepherd, the name under which the firm continues to operate to this day. Although Bourne only spent 6 years in India, his time there was extremely productive. He undertook three major expeditions in the Himalayas, creating an impressive body of work which combined the highest technical quality and a keen artistic eye, while working under difficult physical conditions. Bourne left India for good in 1870, selling his interest in Bourne & Shepherd shortly thereafter and abandoning commercial photography.
Local Numbers:
FSA A2002.01
Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.
Rights:
Permission to publish, quote, or reproduce must be secured from the repository.
8 Prints (albumen, images 24 x 29 cm. or smaller.)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Prints
Albumen prints
Photographs
Place:
Kandy (Sri Lanka)
Khyber Pass (Afghanistan and Pakistan)
Khyber (Pakistan)
Sikandra Rao (India)
Date:
19th century
Scope and Contents:
Taken in the later 19th and early 20th centuries, these photographs portray the people, architecture and landscape of Sri Lanka, India and what is now the Pakistan-Afghanistan border area. The collection consists of 8 photographic prints: 1. Natives of Rajputana, signed "Shepherd & Robertson Photo 1120" in black ink in the lower left corner; 2, Native Soldiers in Armour, unsigned; 3. Kandyan Chiefs and Government Agent, signed "Scowen & Co." in white ink in the lower left corner; 4. Taj Mahal, unsigned; 5. Mausoleum of the Great Akbar at the Secundra, unsigned; 6. Ali Musjid and Surroundings from Rotass, Looking Down on Fort, Showing Ascent with River, signed "Burke 28" in white ink in the lower left corner; 7. A Khyber Village, signed " Burke 32" in black ink and in white ink in the lower left corner; 8. Rifle Practice, signed "Burke 285" in black ink in the lower left corner.
Arrangement:
Eight large file folders arranged in one box.
Biographical / Historical:
John Burke (1843-1900) was an Irishman who came to India as an apothecary with the Royal Engineers. A few years later, he became the assistant of the photographer William Baker. At the start of the Second Anglo-Afghan War, Burke tried to go as an official photographer with the British Army, but his request was refused. He decided to travel with the Army at his own expense, financing his trip by selling photographs depicting the life of British soldiers and native people of India. It was in this context that Burke took some of the earliest photographs of Afghanistan.
Local Numbers:
FSA A1992.07
Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.
Rights:
Permission to publish, quote, or reproduce must be secured from the repository.
Photographic prints acquired by Freer duriing his tour of Colombo in February 1907, depicting the archaeological, religious, and scenic sites of Sri Lanka. Photographs include works by the major studios in Colombo such as Skeen & Co., and Scowen and Co. (later Apothecaries Co.), as well as works by unknown photographers. Geographically the images display a wide range of sites from across the island but emphasize the ancient ruins of the Anuradhapura District. All the prints are gold-toned albumen prints.
1: Alsophila Crinita. Caption: "Alsophila Crinita Woolly Tree-Ferns." Scowen & Co. Between 1876 and ca.1894; 2: Anuradhapura, Abhayagiri ViharaComplex, Abhayagiri Thupa, from the south. Caption: "Jetawanarama Dagoba 245 high. Anuradhapura." Captions: "Jetawanarama DagobaAnuradhapura", "Anuradhapura" Scowen; Apothecaries Co. Ltd. Between 1876 and ca.1894; 3: Anuradhapura, Abhayagiri Vihara Complex, Kanda-oru. Skeen & Co. Between the late 1860s and 1903; 4: Anuradhapura, Abhayagiri Vihara Complex, Kuttum Pokuna. Skeen & Co. Between the late 1860s and 1903; 5: Anuradhapura, Abhayagiri Vihara Complex, Mahasena's Pavilion, moonstone and stairway. Captions: "Kings Palace Moonstone, Ruanwella", "Anuradhapura" Apothecaries Co. Ltd; 6: Anuradhapura, Isurumuniya Temple, carved stone images. Captions: "Carved stone in S-steps, Isurumuniya", "Anuradhapura" Apothecaries Co. Ltd. Not after 1896; 7: Anuradhapura, Isurumuniya Temple, front from the east. Captions: "Isurumuniya Temple, Ruanwella", "Anuradhapura, Isurumuniya." Apothecaries Co. Ltd. Not after 1896; 8: Anuradhapura, Magul Uyana, rock cut pond. Caption: "A rock cut recess in connection with a bathing pond on the east side of the Tisawewa, Anuradhapura." Captions: "Rock cut recess east of Tissawewa", "Anuradhapura" Scowen & Co. Between 1876 and ca.1894; 9: Anuradhapura, Mahavihara Complex, "Dalada Maligawa" idol house.; 10: Anuradhapura, Mahavihara Complex, Kujjatissa Pabbata. Caption: "Sala Chaitiya Dagoba, Anuradhapura." Caption: "Anuradhapura" Scowen & Co. Between 1876 and ca.1894; 11: Anuradhapura, Mahavihara Complex, Kujjatissa Pabbata. Caption: "Sala Chaitiya Dagoba. Anuradhapura." Caption: "Anuradhapura" Scowen & Co. Between the 1876 and ca.1894; 12: Anuradhapura, Mahavihara Complex, monastic cistern and dyeing vessel near the Thuparama Dagoba. Skeen & Co. Between the late 1860s and 1903; 13: Anuradhapura, Mahavihara Complex, monastic ruins west of the Ruvanvalisaya. Caption: "Ruins of the north west side of the Ruanwelli Dagoba, Anuradhapura." Caption: "Anuradhapura" Scowen & Co; Apothecaries Co. Ltd; 14: Anuradhapura, Mahavihara Complex,monastic ruins south west of the Ruvanvalisaya. Skeen & Co. Between the late 1860s and 1903; 15: Anuradhapura, Mahavihara Complex, monastic ruins south west of the Ruvanvalisaya. Caption: "Anuradhapura" Skeen & Co. Between the late 1860s and 1903; 16: Anuradhapura, Mahavihara Complex, Ruvanvalisaya, east entrance. Captions: "Ruanwella Dagoba from the east showing carved entrance", "Anuradhapura" Apothecaries Co. Ltd; 17: Anuradhapura, Mahavihara Complex, Ruvanvalisaya, southern vahalkada. Skeen & Co. Between the late 1860s and 1903; 18: Anuradhapura, Mahavihara Complex, Sri Maha Bodhi Shrine. Caption: "Ficus Religiosa, the sacred Bo tree at Anuradhapura. This ancient tree is an object of the most profound veneration to the Buddhists; its parent in India being the identical tree under which Gautama is said to have attained the Buddhaship. The original branch was planted by King Dewanpiya Tissa, B.C. 288. " Scowen & Co. Between 1876 and ca.1894; 19: Anuradhapura, Mahavihara Complex, stone bulls near the Ruvanvalisaya. Captions: "Stone Bulls, Ruanwella", "Anuradhapura" Apothecaries Co. Ltd; 20: Anuradhapura, Mahavihara Complex, stone figure. Caption: "Stone figure in Kachcheri ground, Ruanwella." Apothecaries Co. Ltd; 21: Anuradhapura, Mahavihara Complex, Thuparama Dagoba, pillar capital. Caption: "Pillar at the Thuparama, Anuradhapura.". Not before 1862; 22: Anuradhapura, Mahavihara Complex, Thuparama Dagoba and surrounding ruins. Caption: "Polonnaruva?" Skeen & Co. Between the late 1860s and 1903; 23: Anuradhapura, Mirisvatiya Dagoba. Captions: "Merisawatte Dagoba, Ruanwella", "Anuradhapura, Miriswetiya." Apothecaries Co. Ltd; 24: Anuradhapura, Western Monasteries, stone canopy. Skeen & Co. Between 1886 and 1903; 25: Anuradhapura District, Mihintale, Mahinda's Bed. Caption: "Mihintale,, Mahinda's Bed"; 26: Colombo District, Colombo Fort, from the south. Captions: "Barracks, Fort, Colombo. No. 62", "Colombo" C.A. Co. Ltd. Between the 1870s and ca.1890; 27: Kandy, Dalada Maligawa, entrance. Caption: "Entrance to the Buddhist Temple, Kandy." Scowen & Co. Between 1876 and ca.1894; 28: Kandy, Dalada Maligawa, front view. Caption: "Dalada Maligawa (Temple of the Tooth) Kandy." Caption: "Kandy,, Maligawa." Scowen. Between 1876 and ca.1894; 29: Kandy, back of Temple. Captions: "Back of Temple, Kandy," Apothecaries Co. Ltd; 30: Kandy, "Florence Villa." Caption: "Florence Villa, Kandy, No. 193." C.A. Co. Ltd. Between the 1870s and ca.1890; 31: Kandy, Kandy Lake with Hantanne Peak in back. Caption: "Kandy Lake and Hantanne Peak." Scowen. Between 1876 and ca.1894; 32: Kandy, Kandy Lake and city from the South-east. Skeen & Co. Between the late 1860s and 1903; 33: Kandy, Old Palace. Caption: "Old palace, Kandy"; 34: Kandy District, Panwila, "Holton Estate" tea plucking. Caption: "Plucking tea leaf-Holton Estate. Panwila." Scowen & Co. Between 1876 and ca.1894; 35: Kandy District, Peradeniya, Mahavali River. Caption: "River at Peradeniya." Skeen & Co. Between the late 1860s and 1903; 36: Kandy District, Peradeniya, Royal Botanic Gardens, Creeper. Caption: "A Creeper in the Peradeniya Gardens" Scowen & Co. Between 1876 and ca.1894; 37: Kandy District, Peradeniya, Royal Botanic Gardens, fig tree. Caption: "Fig tree, Peradeniya"; 38: Kandy District, Peradeniya, Royal Botanic Gardens, palms. Caption: "Group of palms in the Botanic Gardens, Peradeniya." Scowen & Co. Between 1876 and ca.1894; 39: Kandy District, Peradeniya, Royal Botanic Gardens, palms. Caption: "Group of Palms in the Royal Botanic Gardens, Peradeniya." Scowen & Co. Between 1876 and ca.1894; 40: Kandy District, Peradeniya, the Satinwood Bridge over the Mahavali River. Captions: "Satinwood Bridge from the gardens", "Peradeniya,, Royal Botanic Gardens.". Not after 1904; 41: Matale District, Aluvihara Rock Temple. Caption: "Matale. Aluwihara Rock Temple. Where Buddhist books were first committed to writing in B.C. 90." Caption: "Matale,, Aluvihara." Scowen & Co. Between 1876 and ca.1894; 42: Matale District, Aluvihara Rock Temple. Caption: "Rock Temple at Matara showing the Great Gorge"; 43: Matale District, Dambulla Cave Temple, entrance to a cave. Captions: "Rock Temple entrance, Mihintale", "Mihintale" Apothecaries Co. Ltd; 44: Matale District, Dambulla Cave Temple, terrace. Captions: "Buddhist Rock temple view from terrace, Mihintale", "Mihintale" Apothecaries Co. Ltd; 45: Matale District, Sigiriya Rock Fortress, assent to the summit. Captions: "Sigiri remains of galleries running to the top of the rock", "Sigiriya" Apothecaries Co. Ltd; 46: Matale District, Sigiriya Rock Fortress, view to summit from the Lion Terrace. Captions: "Sigiri Rock", "Sigiriya"; 47: Matale District, Sigiriya Rock Fortress, stairs of the lower gallery. Captions: "Sigiri end of the remaining portion of the lower gallery", "Sigiriya"; 48: Nuvara Eliya, landscape. Captions: "Nuwera Eliya", "Nuwara Eliya" C. Scowen. Between 1876 and ca.1894; 49: Polonnaruva, Ancient City, Dalada Maluva Complex, Hatadage. Captions: "Atadage, Ruawella", "Anuradhapura" Apothecaries Co. Ltd. Not after 1903; 50: Polonnaruva, Ancient City, Dalada Maluva Complex, Hatadage, broken stone Buddha. Captions: "Atadage inner chamber"; "Polonnaruwa, Atadage." Apothecaries Co. Ltd. Not after 1903; 51: Polonnaruva, Ancient City, Siva Devale No. 1, east entrance. Captions: "Anuradhapura", "Anuradhapura" Apothecaries Co. Ltd; 52: Ratnapura District, Sripada. Caption: "Temple of Adam's Peak"; 53: Matale District, unidentified gorge. Caption: "Vicarton Gorge, Matale." Scowen & Co. Between 1876 and ca.1894; 54: Unidentified temple. Caption: "Buddhist Temple, Colombo No. 92." Caption: "Colombo." Apothecaries Co. Ltd; 55: Unidentified temple. Caption: "Buddhist Temple, Peradeniya." Caption: "Peradeniya." C.A. Co. Ltd; Apothecaries Co. Ltd. Between the 1870s and ca.1890; 56: Unidentified house. Captions: "Hill Club", "97' Moliya", "Nuwara Eliya" C. Scowen. Between 1876 and ca.1894; 57: Unidentified river. Captions: "Maskeliya river", "Maskeliya"; 58: Unidentified waterfall. Captions: "Maskeliya Falls", "Maskeliya"; 59: Unidentified waterfall.
Captions: "Naliawilla Falls Haputale,", "Haplutale"; 60: Unidentified waterfall. Captions: "The double Ramibadde Falls", "Ramboda"; 61: Unidentified ruins of stairs. The Colombo Apothecaries Company, Ltd. Photographers; 62: Unidentified brick ruin. The Colombo Apothecaries Company, Ltd. Photographers.
Arrangement:
Organized in the original manner by the creator.
Local Numbers:
FSA A.01 12.10
Collection Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.
Collection Rights:
Permission to publish, quote, or reproduce must be secured from the repository.
Topic:
Art, Asian -- Collectors and collecting Search this
Art, American -- Collectors and collecting Search this
Charles Lang Freer Papers. FSA A.01. National Museum of Asian Art Archives. Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. Gift of the estate of Charles Lang Freer.
Two personal photo albums of Captain Eugene Clutterbuck Impey containing images of his brother, Captain Henry Dixon and other unidentified photographers (some initialled in the negative) of the late 1850's and early 1860's, and British colonials. There are also images of various Indian peoples, a still life of game birds, a panoramic view supposedly of ruins after the Mutiny, and architectural images.
Arrangement:
prints (predominantly housed in 2 photo albums) : organized in 3 boxes (2.5 linear ft.)
Biographical / Historical:
E.C. Impey, an important figure in the early photography of India, was one of a number of British soldiers to take up that medium in the 1850's-1860's. Impey, whose grandfather, Sir Elijah Impey and his wife Mary were highly important patrons of Indian painting, was also related to 19th century photographers Sir John Herschel and Julia Margaret Cameron. Sir Elijah Impey was an extremly influencial justice at the onset of British colonization of India. Despite his presence in India for only just over eight years, he was appointed to preside in Sudder Dewannee Adawlet, the court of appeals for civil causes from the provincial council, and also acted as the chief justice of the state of Bengals. In addition, he was responsible for prepring the Code of Rules,Orders and Regulation (1781) , an important colonial cornerstone of the British contribution to the codification of Indian law.
Local Numbers:
FSA A1993.09
Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.
Genre/Form:
Salted paper prints -- 1840-1860
Albumen prints
Citation:
Impey Family Photograph Albums, FSA.A1993.09. National Museum of Asian Art Archives. Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C.
Identifier:
FSA.A1993.09
Archival Repository:
Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives
Three albumen prints by the studio of Scowen & Co., circa 1880s, depicting a lake in Kanda, a group of Kandyan chiefs, and T.B. Panabokka and his family. Panabokka was the Kandyan member of the Legislative Council.
Arrangement:
One flat box.
Biographical / Historical:
British photographer Charles T. Scowen arrived in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) in the early 1870s, where he was first employed as a clerk. By 1876, Scowen had established a studio, Scowen & Co., in Kandy, with a second location appearing in Columbo by the 1890s. There appear to have been several Scowens working in the studios, as Charles T. Scowen returned to England in 1885. C. Scowen was listed as the proprietor until 1891 and M. Scowen was the proprietor when the firm was finally sold in 1893. Images from Scowen & Co. were used to illustrate a number of books about Ceylon and the tea trade.
Local Numbers:
FSA A1994.05
Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.
Rights:
Permission to publish, quote, or reproduce must be secured from the repository.
Four 19th/early 20th century prints: 1 unmounted gelatin silver rural scene in Peshawar by R.B. Holmes. 23.8 x 29.3 cm.; 1 unmounted gelatin silver scene of Afghan men by R.B. Holmes. 23.8 x 29.3 cm.18.6 x 14.3 cm.; 1 unmounted albumen print of 2 Sri Lankan young men with fruit by Scowen Studio. 21.4 x 27.8 cm.; 1 umounted albumen print of Japanese men moving rice bales by Suzuki Shin'ichi Studio.
Arrangement:
One flat box.
Local Numbers:
FSA A2017.09
Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.
Genre/Form:
Photographs
Albumen prints
Citation:
Photographic Prints of Asia. FSA.A2017.09. National Museum of Asian Art Archives. Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C.
Identifier:
FSA.A2017.09
Archival Repository:
Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives
Sri Lanka -- Ceylon Island/Sri Lanka Island/Kandy (Near)
Related Materials:
Relocated from Photo Lot 97, USNM ACC 40922.
Collection Restrictions:
The collection is open for research.
Access to the collection requires an appointment.
Collection Rights:
Contact the repository for terms of use.
Genre/Form:
Photographs
Collection Citation:
Photo lot 161, Emma A. Koch photograph collection relating to India, South Asia, and Australia, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution.
Photo lot 161, Emma A. Koch photograph collection relating to India, South Asia, and Australia, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution.
Sri Lanka -- Ceylon Island/Sri Lanka Island/Kandy/Dalada Maligawa
Related Materials:
Relocated from Photo Lot 97, USNM ACC 40922.
Collection Restrictions:
The collection is open for research.
Access to the collection requires an appointment.
Collection Rights:
Contact the repository for terms of use.
Genre/Form:
Photographs
Collection Citation:
Photo lot 161, Emma A. Koch photograph collection relating to India, South Asia, and Australia, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution.
Sri Lanka -- Ceylon Island/Sri Lanka Island/Wijewardene Muhamdiram
Related Materials:
Relocated from Photo Lot 97, USNM ACC 40922.
Collection Restrictions:
The collection is open for research.
Access to the collection requires an appointment.
Collection Rights:
Contact the repository for terms of use.
Genre/Form:
Photographs
Collection Citation:
Photo lot 161, Emma A. Koch photograph collection relating to India, South Asia, and Australia, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution.
Photographs collected by Emma A. Koch documenting the people and natural and built environments in India, South Asia, and Australia. The collection largely consists of images of East Indian peoples, structures, scenery, and activities, including tea making and entertainment; areas of India most commonly depicted are Assam, Bengal, and the Andaman Islands. Additional photographs portray people, architecture, and scenery in Burma, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Nepal, Tibet, and Australia. Most of the photographs were likely taken by Samuel Bourne and Charles Shepherd (Bourne & Shepherd), with some made by Scowen & Co., Shepherd & Robertson, Benjamin F. Simpson, Reynolds, and Ganey.
Local Call Number(s):
NAA Photo Lot 161, USNM ACC 40922
Location of Other Archival Materials:
This collection has been relocated from Photo Lot 79-38.
Photographs in the Koch Collection (accession 40922), previously filed in Photo Lot 97 and Photo Lot 8, have been relocated and merged with Photo Lot 161.
Additional photograhs by Bourne & Shepherd can be found in the National Anthropological Archives in Photo Lot 82-44, Photo Lot 91-27, and Photo Lot 97.
Additional photographs by Shepherd & Robertson can be found in the National Anthropological Archives in Photo Lot 8.
The Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives hold additional photographs by Benjamin Simpson, Samuel Bourne, Bourne & Shepherd, Scowen & Co., and Shepherd & Robertson.
Koch also donated an album of dried flowers to the Department of Anthropology as part of accession 40922.
Photo lot 161, Emma A. Koch photograph collection relating to India, South Asia, and Australia, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution.
