Scinde Valley, View near Gugangair
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. 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 Scinde Valley he noted: "…I was anxious to explore the Scind valley, a tributary of the main valley of Kashmir running far up into the mountains towards Ladak – a little river sparkling through it from the snows above. And well was my perseverance rewarded, for up this valley I saw some of the finest mountain scenery it has ever been my fortune to look upon. As I should have to return the same way, I decided to push on as fast as possible to the head of the valley, or as far as I could get, keeping a sharp look-out for pictures, which I should thus be better to take on my return. The distance was over fifty miles, which I accomplished in three days. On the first two marches I saw nothing very striking and began to fear that my toilsome journey would fear a bad “spec.,” but still had hopes, as I saw the valley narrowing, the mountains before me closing in, and the snow peeping out on some of their loftier peaks, that I should come to something better presently; and I was not deceived.” Bourne, S, Narrative of a Photographic Trip to Kashmir (Cashmere) and the Adjacent Districts, The British Journal of Photography, 23 January 1867, p.39
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. 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 Scinde Valley he noted: "…I was anxious to explore the Scind valley, a tributary of the main valley of Kashmir running far up into the mountains towards Ladak – a little river sparkling through it from the snows above. And well was my perseverance rewarded, for up this valley I saw some of the finest mountain scenery it has ever been my fortune to look upon. As I should have to return the same way, I decided to push on as fast as possible to the head of the valley, or as far as I could get, keeping a sharp look-out for pictures, which I should thus be better to take on my return. The distance was over fifty miles, which I accomplished in three days. On the first two marches I saw nothing very striking and began to fear that my toilsome journey would fear a bad “spec.,” but still had hopes, as I saw the valley narrowing, the mountains before me closing in, and the snow peeping out on some of their loftier peaks, that I should come to something better presently; and I was not deceived.” Bourne, S, Narrative of a Photographic Trip to Kashmir (Cashmere) and the Adjacent Districts, The British Journal of Photography, 23 January 1867, p.39
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, 'Scinde Valley, View near Gugangair', albumen print, Samuel Bourne, India, 1860s |
| Physical description | The photograph shows a view looking up a river below mountain peaks in the Scinde Valley. |
| Dimensions |
|
| Marks and inscriptions | Signature and negative number at the bottom, towards the left |
| 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. 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 Scinde Valley he noted: "…I was anxious to explore the Scind valley, a tributary of the main valley of Kashmir running far up into the mountains towards Ladak – a little river sparkling through it from the snows above. And well was my perseverance rewarded, for up this valley I saw some of the finest mountain scenery it has ever been my fortune to look upon. As I should have to return the same way, I decided to push on as fast as possible to the head of the valley, or as far as I could get, keeping a sharp look-out for pictures, which I should thus be better to take on my return. The distance was over fifty miles, which I accomplished in three days. On the first two marches I saw nothing very striking and began to fear that my toilsome journey would fear a bad “spec.,” but still had hopes, as I saw the valley narrowing, the mountains before me closing in, and the snow peeping out on some of their loftier peaks, that I should come to something better presently; and I was not deceived.” Bourne, S, Narrative of a Photographic Trip to Kashmir (Cashmere) and the Adjacent Districts, The British Journal of Photography, 23 January 1867, p.39 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 | 977 - Negative number |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | 53013 |
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| Record created | September 16, 2016 |
| Record URL |
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