Dunkar Fort, with the Manirung Pass and range in the distance
- Object:
- Place of origin:
- Date:
- Artist/Maker:
Bourne, Samuel, born 1834 - died 1912 (photographer)
- Materials and Techniques:
Albumen print from wet collodion glass negative
- Museum number:
- Gallery location:
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This is one of many images of India captured by the English photographer Samuel Bourne. From July to December 1866, he toured 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 he photographed.
This photograph shows Dunkar Fort and Bourne gives a description of the village of Dunkar. 'At length we arrived at a curious and picturesque village called Dunkar, the outpost of the British territory in this direction…. The houses were built into the sides of the hill, which have been scooped out by nature into holes and caverns; and the way these had been taken advantage of and built into, until the hand of man and the hand of nature seemed to unite, was ingenious and picturesque.'
Physical description
Perched on a mountain top, the fort at Dankar is just about distinguishable from the rocky formations that surround it. There is a range of mountains in the distance and a river in the bottom right hand corner.
Place of Origin
India (photographed)
Date
1866 (photographed)
Artist/maker
Bourne, Samuel, born 1834 - died 1912 (photographer)
Materials and Techniques
Albumen print from wet collodion glass negative
Marks and inscriptions
Signature and negative number in bottom left hand corner. Handwritten negarive number above that.
Dimensions
Width: 28.6 cm photograph, Height: 22.8 cm photograph, Width: 33 cm mount, Height: 26.5 cm mount
Object history note
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 with evidence of handwritten text on top.
Right hand side: A.in Dankar
Bottom left: Label from Bourne cataolgue with 'Dankar fort' handwritten below it.
Historical context note
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:
'At length we arrived at a curious and picturesque village called Dunkar, the outpost of the British territory in this direction…..The houses were built into the sides of the hill, which have been scooped out by nature into holes and caravans; and the way these had been taken advantage of and built into, until the hand of man and the hand of nature seemed to unite, was ingenious and picturesque. I had taken two views of the village from opposite sites and one or two looking up at it from the Spiti valley, and proceeded to take a closer view of one particular part of the village more picturesque than the rest'.
Bourne, S, A Photographic journey through the Higher Himalayas, The British Journal of Photography, January 14 1870, pg, 16.
Bibliographic References (Citation, Note/Abstract, NAL no)
Bourne, S, A Photographic journey through the Higher Himalayas, The British Journal of Photography, Janurary 14 1870, pg 16.
Production Note
The negative was made in 1866. This print would have been made before March 1867.
Techniques
Wet collodion process
Subjects depicted
India; Fort
Categories
Photographs
Collection code
SSEA
