Dhurmsala, Panoramic View from Barracks
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 a 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, 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 Dharamshala (Dhurmsala), he noted: “I then continued my journey towards Dhurmsala … It was a great relief to look forward to some days’ respite from marching, for I expected to stop here about a week or ten days; but, as it afterwards turned out, my stay extended to nearly six weeks. It commenced raining the day after my arrival, and scarcely ceased for ten days. I remained in this deluge for two days in my tent till I was nearly flooded out, when through the kindness of a gentleman in the station, I obtained possession of one of the officers’ quarters for the rest of my stay.
The situation of Dhurmsala is very fine. Below lies the rich valley of Kangra, and immediately above rises the great snowy range which I have before alluded to. I was very anxious to get some views of the latter, but it was covered every day with clouds.” Bourne, S, Narrative of a Photographic Trip to Kashmir (Cashmere) and Adjacent Districts, The British Journal of Photography, 19 October 1866, p.498
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.
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 Dharamshala (Dhurmsala), he noted: “I then continued my journey towards Dhurmsala … It was a great relief to look forward to some days’ respite from marching, for I expected to stop here about a week or ten days; but, as it afterwards turned out, my stay extended to nearly six weeks. It commenced raining the day after my arrival, and scarcely ceased for ten days. I remained in this deluge for two days in my tent till I was nearly flooded out, when through the kindness of a gentleman in the station, I obtained possession of one of the officers’ quarters for the rest of my stay.
The situation of Dhurmsala is very fine. Below lies the rich valley of Kangra, and immediately above rises the great snowy range which I have before alluded to. I was very anxious to get some views of the latter, but it was covered every day with clouds.” Bourne, S, Narrative of a Photographic Trip to Kashmir (Cashmere) and Adjacent Districts, The British Journal of Photography, 19 October 1866, p.498
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, 'Dhurmsala, Panoramic View from Barracks', albumen print, Samuel Bourne, India, 1860s |
| Physical description | Photograph showing a densely vegetated area of land. A line of trees runs through the middle ground of the composition and stretches up to the top left corner. On the right is a hillside with some building visible among the trees. |
| Dimensions |
|
| Marks and inscriptions | Signature and negative number in bottom left 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 a 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, 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 Dharamshala (Dhurmsala), he noted: “I then continued my journey towards Dhurmsala … It was a great relief to look forward to some days’ respite from marching, for I expected to stop here about a week or ten days; but, as it afterwards turned out, my stay extended to nearly six weeks. It commenced raining the day after my arrival, and scarcely ceased for ten days. I remained in this deluge for two days in my tent till I was nearly flooded out, when through the kindness of a gentleman in the station, I obtained possession of one of the officers’ quarters for the rest of my stay. The situation of Dhurmsala is very fine. Below lies the rich valley of Kangra, and immediately above rises the great snowy range which I have before alluded to. I was very anxious to get some views of the latter, but it was covered every day with clouds.” Bourne, S, Narrative of a Photographic Trip to Kashmir (Cashmere) and Adjacent Districts, The British Journal of Photography, 19 October 1866, p.498 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 | 528 - Negative number |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | 52919 |
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| Record created | January 10, 2017 |
| Record URL |
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