View on the Dhul Canal
Photograph
1864 (photographed)
1864 (photographed)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
In 1863 Samuel Bourne (1834-1912) arrived in India. He had left his job as a Nottingham bank clerk in order to develop his new career as a photographer. Bourne undertook three treks to Kashmir and the western Himalayas in 1863, 1864 and 1866, during which he photographed his surroundings extensively.
He began his second trip to India, during which this photograph was taken, in March 1864. It was to be a nine-month expedition through the Kashmir region. This photograph shows a view on the Dal Canal, near Srinagar which connects to the Jhelum River, the westernmost of the five rivers in the Punjab that ultimately drain into the Indus river in Pakistan. The famous Mughal gardens are situtated around this beautiful lake.
Throughout his travels Bourne wrote about his first impressions of the places he visited and these writings were published in the British Journal of Photography. Of the Dal Canal he noted: “As we come in sight of the second and third bridges, and before fairly entering the city, the boat suddenly turns up a dark avenue to the right. Passing under a bridge we emerge at once into a scene of extreme beauty; we are on what is called the “dhul canal,” but which is in reality a small river or outlet of the lake. Looking up the reach before us the eye is immediately enchanted by the splendour of the overhanging foliage and its reflections in the placid water. Chunars of immense size stretch forward their giant trunks and arms across the stream, as if trying to kiss their fellows on the opposite bank; rows of poplars rise behind, and graceful willows mingle their feathery sprays with masses of denser foliage. Such a scene with its light pleasure boats and large flat-bottomed rice boats moored on the margin, could not fail to delight the heart of any artist; and when I add that every leaf was still, and that not a breath or whisper of a breeze disturbed the image mirrowed [sic] in the depths of the glassy stream, my readers will understand with what exultation I, as a photographer, feasted my eyes on this scene of unruffled beauty.” Bourne, S, Narrative of a Photographic Trip to Kashmir (Cashmere) and the Adjacent Districts, The British Journal of Photography, 4 January 1867, p.4
Towards the end of the 1860s, Bourne established a partnership with fellow photographer and Englishman Charles Shepherd (fl. 1858-1878) and in the space of a few years Bourne & Shepherd became the pre-eminent photographic firm in India. By the end of 1870 they had three branches, in Simla, Calcutta and Bombay.
Samuel Bourne’s ability to combine technical skill and artistic vision has led to him being recognised today as one of the most outstanding photographers working in India in the nineteenth century.
He began his second trip to India, during which this photograph was taken, in March 1864. It was to be a nine-month expedition through the Kashmir region. This photograph shows a view on the Dal Canal, near Srinagar which connects to the Jhelum River, the westernmost of the five rivers in the Punjab that ultimately drain into the Indus river in Pakistan. The famous Mughal gardens are situtated around this beautiful lake.
Throughout his travels Bourne wrote about his first impressions of the places he visited and these writings were published in the British Journal of Photography. Of the Dal Canal he noted: “As we come in sight of the second and third bridges, and before fairly entering the city, the boat suddenly turns up a dark avenue to the right. Passing under a bridge we emerge at once into a scene of extreme beauty; we are on what is called the “dhul canal,” but which is in reality a small river or outlet of the lake. Looking up the reach before us the eye is immediately enchanted by the splendour of the overhanging foliage and its reflections in the placid water. Chunars of immense size stretch forward their giant trunks and arms across the stream, as if trying to kiss their fellows on the opposite bank; rows of poplars rise behind, and graceful willows mingle their feathery sprays with masses of denser foliage. Such a scene with its light pleasure boats and large flat-bottomed rice boats moored on the margin, could not fail to delight the heart of any artist; and when I add that every leaf was still, and that not a breath or whisper of a breeze disturbed the image mirrowed [sic] in the depths of the glassy stream, my readers will understand with what exultation I, as a photographer, feasted my eyes on this scene of unruffled beauty.” Bourne, S, Narrative of a Photographic Trip to Kashmir (Cashmere) and the Adjacent Districts, The British Journal of Photography, 4 January 1867, p.4
Towards the end of the 1860s, Bourne established a partnership with fellow photographer and Englishman Charles Shepherd (fl. 1858-1878) and in the space of a few years Bourne & Shepherd became the pre-eminent photographic firm in India. By the end of 1870 they had three branches, in Simla, Calcutta and Bombay.
Samuel Bourne’s ability to combine technical skill and artistic vision has led to him being recognised today as one of the most outstanding photographers working in India in the nineteenth century.
Object details
| Category | |
| Object type | |
| Titles |
|
| Materials and techniques | Albumen print from wet collodion negative |
| Brief description | Photograph, 'View on the Dhul Canal', albumen print, Samuel Bourne, India, 1860s |
| Physical description | The photograph shows a view of the canal with boats by the bank on the right and in the distance. The Takht-i-Suleiman can be seen on a hilltop in the distance behind the trees |
| Dimensions |
|
| Marks and inscriptions | Signature and negative number in bottom right hand corner |
| Object history | This 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 it is categorised. The mount is white. Bottom Left: Label from Bourne catalogue with some handwritten text. |
| Production | The negative was made in 1864. This print was made before March 1867. |
| Place depicted | |
| Summary | In 1863 Samuel Bourne (1834-1912) arrived in India. He had left his job as a Nottingham bank clerk in order to develop his new career as a photographer. Bourne undertook three treks to Kashmir and the western Himalayas in 1863, 1864 and 1866, during which he photographed his surroundings extensively. He began his second trip to India, during which this photograph was taken, in March 1864. It was to be a nine-month expedition through the Kashmir region. This photograph shows a view on the Dal Canal, near Srinagar which connects to the Jhelum River, the westernmost of the five rivers in the Punjab that ultimately drain into the Indus river in Pakistan. The famous Mughal gardens are situtated around this beautiful lake. Throughout his travels Bourne wrote about his first impressions of the places he visited and these writings were published in the British Journal of Photography. Of the Dal Canal he noted: “As we come in sight of the second and third bridges, and before fairly entering the city, the boat suddenly turns up a dark avenue to the right. Passing under a bridge we emerge at once into a scene of extreme beauty; we are on what is called the “dhul canal,” but which is in reality a small river or outlet of the lake. Looking up the reach before us the eye is immediately enchanted by the splendour of the overhanging foliage and its reflections in the placid water. Chunars of immense size stretch forward their giant trunks and arms across the stream, as if trying to kiss their fellows on the opposite bank; rows of poplars rise behind, and graceful willows mingle their feathery sprays with masses of denser foliage. Such a scene with its light pleasure boats and large flat-bottomed rice boats moored on the margin, could not fail to delight the heart of any artist; and when I add that every leaf was still, and that not a breath or whisper of a breeze disturbed the image mirrowed [sic] in the depths of the glassy stream, my readers will understand with what exultation I, as a photographer, feasted my eyes on this scene of unruffled beauty.” Bourne, S, Narrative of a Photographic Trip to Kashmir (Cashmere) and the Adjacent Districts, The British Journal of Photography, 4 January 1867, p.4 Towards the end of the 1860s, Bourne established a partnership with fellow photographer and Englishman Charles Shepherd (fl. 1858-1878) and in the space of a few years Bourne & Shepherd became the pre-eminent photographic firm in India. By the end of 1870 they had three branches, in Simla, Calcutta and Bombay. Samuel Bourne’s ability to combine technical skill and artistic vision has led to him being recognised today as one of the most outstanding photographers working in India in the nineteenth century. |
| Other number | 831 - Negative number |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | 53002 |
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| Record created | September 14, 2016 |
| Record URL |
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