Photograph of the Kullu Valley, India, by Samuel Bourne, 1866.

This photograph shows a valley with tree covered and terraced mountains on either side. A stream runs through the centre of the valley. On either side, higher up in the mountains, clusters of small wooden houses can be seen. Bourne likened the picturesque Kullu Valley to a Swiss Valley and felt that the village houses resembled Swiss chalets.

Signature and negative number in bottom right hand corner.

The photograph was initially part of the photographic collection held in the National Art Library. The markings on the mount are an indication of the history of the object, its movement through the museum and the way in which it is categorised.
The mount is white and has hand written text at the top which is now only partially visible: Topography, India, IIbd.
Right hand side: A.in. Kulu
Bottom left: Label from Bourne catalogue with 'Rusala' handwritten below it.

Samuel Bourne wrote and published an account of his journey in which he mentions the places that he photographed. Below is the relevant section for this photograph:

From the village of Kat they had to cross the Jalori Pass, about 11,000 feet elevation. They climbed to the top of the Pass and stopped near a village called Russala.

'Next day our march followed the course of a stream that descended from the Jalori Pass, the path running some distance above it along the slopes of the mountains which formed one side of a narrow valley. About a mile below our encampment we had a fine view. Looking back towards the pass, the hillsides were wooded to their summits, and the little stream, swollen by yesterday's heavy rain tumbled over its boulders in a foamy mass, forming a sinuous line of silver through the dense foliage. The day was cloudy and dull; but I halted to get a picture of this fine sylvan scene, and of another almost as fine looking the other way. I had some difficulty in doing this, as my cloths and polishing leathers were all still very damp from yesterday's soaking. However I overcame this difficulty, and secured two as good negatives (12 x 10) as was possible on a cloudy day.'

This photograph would be the first one described by Bourne in his writings and the second photograph he mentions would be museum number 53,064.

Bourne, S, A Photographic journey through the Higher Himalayas, The British Journal of Photography, December 3 1869, pg 579.

The negative was made in 1866. This print was made before March 1867.

This is one of the many images of India captured by the English photographer Samuel Bourne. From July to December 1866 he toured a part of the Himalayan region. He wrote about his journey in The British Journal of Photography, outlining his route and in some cases describing the scenes of which he took photographs.

This is his description of this view: 'Next day our march followed the course of a stream that descended from the Jalori Pass….Looking back towards the pass, the hillsides were wooded to their summits, and the little stream, swollen by yesterday's heavy rain tumbled over its boulders in a foamy mass, forming a sinuous line of silver through the dense foliage. The day was cloudy and dull; but I halted to get a picture of this fine sylvan scene, and of another almost as fine looking the other way. I had some difficulty in doing this, as my cloths and polishing leathers were all still very damp from yesterday's soaking. However I overcame this difficulty, and secured two as good negatives (12 x 10) as was possible on a cloudy day.'

53063