[Collection of thirty-seven photographs of India, Pakistan, and Burma, twenty-five by Bourne or Bourne & Shepherd]

Bourne, Samuel; Charles Shepherd; Colin Murray, photographers

Published by India, Pakistan, Burma, ca. 1863-1875

About this Item

37 albumen prints, mostly between 8.5" x 11.375" and 10" x 12.5". Many signed in the negative "Bourne," or "Bourne & Shepherd" with an inventory number; most with manuscript captions in ink along lower edge of image and pencil annotations and inventory numbers on verso. CONDITION: Good; tonality generally strong, most with occasional light wrinkles, a few with creases at edges or chips to corners; a couple with one inch tears at edges or tape repairs on verso; all with minimal to no foxing. A rich collection of photographs primarily by pioneering travel photographer Samuel Bourne, his partner Charles Shepherd, and Bourne & Shepherd photographer Colin Murray, taken in India, Pakistan, and Burma in the 1860s and 1870s. This group of photographs spans Samuel Bourne's prolific seven year photography career in India and embraces exceptional landscape and architectural views as well as a captivating selection of portraits and ethnographic studies. Among the finest landscapes offered here are Bourne's photograph of the source of the Ganges-the goal of his last Himalayan expedition, in 1866-and his view of the Beas River, as well as his architectural views of the Jama Masjid in Delhi and the Burning Ghat in Benares. Besides a group portrait of Kashmiri women, most of the portraits and ethnographic images in this collection are the work of Charles Shepherd, including a group portrait of Pathan (also Pashtun) gentlemen in Peshawar, shots of several Afridi men, and a group of "Marauders" at Khyber Pass. Other subjects in this collection include "Elephants moving timber" in Burma; a view from the top of Humaioon's Tomb, overlooking the "Ruins of ancient Delhi"; the Observatory of Rajah Jey Singh in Delhi; a "view on the Lake Nynee Tal"; the "Marble Ghat at Rajnuggur, 900 ft in length, Oodeypore"; the "Rapids on the Pykara"; a view of the Taj Mahal; a "Burmese carriage & pair" in Yangon, and more. At least two photographs-of "Oodeypour Palace on the lake" and the "King of Burmah's state Barge," are attributed to Colin Murray, who was hired as chief photographer following Bourne's departure from India in 1870 and made many photographs for the firm. Several of the nine unsigned and unattributed photographs are likely also his work. Three photographs are definitely not by Bourne: one is signed "Shepherd & Robertson"; another is by the Bangalore-based studio Ritter, Molkenteller & Co.; and the third is signed "G. T. Sparke." Many images bear manuscript captions in ink, and three of these are signed"George Davidson, 1875.' We find no record of a photographer by that name working in the region or connected with Bourne. None of the Bourne photographs offered here have the block lettering found in his later prints. Samuel Bourne (1834-1912) ranks among the greatest travel photographers of the 19th century. He began making photographs in his native England in 1855. In 1862 his landscape photographs were included in the London International Exhibition and were very well received. Thus encouraged, Bourne sailed for India the following year, and made the first of three major trips within the sub-continent (the next came in 1864, and the last in 1866, when he was accompanied by Scottish geologist and botanist G. R. Playfair). Bourne made thousands of photographs of exceptionally fine quality, most of which focused on landscapes and architecture, although he also made some very fine portraits and ethnographic studies. He returned to England in 1870, and withdrew from the firm in 1874, having established a cotton-doubling business with his brother-in-law. REFERENCES: Pohlmann, Ulrich, Dietmar Siegert, and Esther Ruelfs, eds. Samuel Bourne: Sieben Jahre Indien. Photographien und Reiseberichte 1863-1870 (Munich: Schirmer/Mosel, 2001). Seller Inventory # 8044

Bibliographic Details

Title: [Collection of thirty-seven photographs of ...

Publisher: India, Pakistan, Burma, ca. 1863-1875