Exotic still life
Photograph
ca. 1880 (made)
ca. 1880 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This is a sepia-coloured albumen-silver photograph with a decorative border in watercolour embellished with postage stamps. It was probably originally in an album. The photographer, H. W. Skeen, founded the company of Skeen & Co. in 1860 in the port city of Colombo in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka). His son William Louis Henry Skeen was born in Ceylon, studied at the London School of Photography, and then joined the family business in 1862 or 1863.
The firm’s work concentrated on the commercial life of the island. It also produced pictures, like this one, for naval, military or merchant travellers and the bureaucratic class. This was the great period for the introduction of exotic plant species to Europe. The decorative border added by its original owner makes the photograph an object in its own right.
The firm’s work concentrated on the commercial life of the island. It also produced pictures, like this one, for naval, military or merchant travellers and the bureaucratic class. This was the great period for the introduction of exotic plant species to Europe. The decorative border added by its original owner makes the photograph an object in its own right.
Object details
| Category | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Exotic still life (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Albumen-silver print and watercolour with collaged postage stamps |
| Brief description | A photograph of exotic fruits, and a lizard, including coconuts, jack fruit, etc. Photographed (ca.1880) by Skeen & Co, Colombo, Sri Lanka. Albumen-silver print mounted on a sheet with a decorative border in watercolour embellished with postage stamps. |
| Physical description | A sepia coloured albumen-silver photograph of exotic fruits, and a lizard, with a watercolour decorative border embellished with postage stamps. |
| Dimensions |
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| Style | |
| Production type | Unlimited edition |
| Production | Attribution note: However, the treatment by its owner makes it unique Reason For Production: Retail Reason For Production: Private |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Place depicted | |
| Summary | This is a sepia-coloured albumen-silver photograph with a decorative border in watercolour embellished with postage stamps. It was probably originally in an album. The photographer, H. W. Skeen, founded the company of Skeen & Co. in 1860 in the port city of Colombo in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka). His son William Louis Henry Skeen was born in Ceylon, studied at the London School of Photography, and then joined the family business in 1862 or 1863. The firm’s work concentrated on the commercial life of the island. It also produced pictures, like this one, for naval, military or merchant travellers and the bureaucratic class. This was the great period for the introduction of exotic plant species to Europe. The decorative border added by its original owner makes the photograph an object in its own right. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | E.1426-2001 |
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| Record created | March 5, 2002 |
| Record URL |
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