This is one of many images of the Baspa Valley 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.
Bourne found the Baspa Valley and surrounding area particularly beautiful. This view includes the village of Sungla. He wrote: 'The Buspa Valley is celebrated for its beauty and its shooting grounds; my interest lay only in the former, and the part about Sungla was certainly very fine. Groves of walnut trees clustered thick on each bank of the Buspa, which meandered peacefully through the valley: above these, far up the hillsides, flourished the pine and the sturdy deodar – the whole shut in by lofty mountains…. There was a delightful freshness and beauty about the whole, after the barren and wild scenes through which I had lately passed. I spent three very pleasant days taking views about the valley, and left Sungla with reluctance.’
Physical description
This photograph is of the picturesque village of Sangla in the Baspa valley. An immense mountain fills the background. The village houses are built up the side of the mountain and are surrounded by lush trees. The Baspa river flows through the bottom of the valley and can be seen here in the bottom right hand corner with a bridge running across it. The foreground is filled trees, boulders and rocks.
Signature and negative number in 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 a wet collodion glass negative
Marks and inscriptions
Signature and negative number in bottom right hand corner.
Dimensions
Width: 28.9 cm photograph, Height: 24 cm photograph, Width: 32.8 cm mount, Height: 26.6 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 hand written text on the top edge.
Right hand side: A.in. Sangla
Bottom left: Label from Bourne catalogue with 'Sangla:village' 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:
'The Buspa Valley is celebrated for its beauty and its shooting grounds; my interest lay only in the former, and the part about Sungla was certainly very fine. Groves of walnut trees clustered thick on each bank of the Buspa, which meandered peacefully through the valley; above these, far up the hillsides, flourished the pine and the sturdy deodar – the whole shut in by lofty mountains, which on the north side often terminated in sharp –pointed peaks, while those on the south were generally covered with verdure and forest. There was a delightful freshness and beauty about the whole, after the barren and wild scenes through which I had lately passed. I spent three very pleasant days taking views about the valley, and left Sungla with reluctance.'
Bourne, S, A Photographic journey through the Higher Himalayas, The British Journal of Photography, March 4, 1870, pg.98.
Bibliographic References (Citation, Note/Abstract, NAL no)
Bourne, S, A Photographic journey through the Higher Himalayas, The British Journal of Photography, March 4, 1870, pg.98.
Production Note
The negative was made in 1866. This print would have been made before March 1867.
Techniques
Wet collodion process
Subjects depicted
India; Village
Categories
Photographs
Collection code
SSEA
