'Dunlop Smith Collection: Sir Charles Aitchison Album of Views in India and Burma'

Content

Genre/Subject Matter:

The album contains landscape and architectural views of locations in India, the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , Burma, Florence, China (Yarkand in the latter-day Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region), Zanzibar, the Andaman Islands, Balochistan, Scotland as well as group and individual portraits of indigenous groups, colonial administrators and families of colonial administrators. A number of non-photographic elements are also to be found in the album, including four ink and watercolour drawings, and several printed images. The prints are lightly mounted on the page, the majority captioned. They date from the 1860s‒1890s.

The album forms part of the collection of Sir James Robert Dunlop Smith (1858‒1921), a British official in the Indian Army, but there are strong indications that it was compiled by Sir Charles Umpherston Aitchison (1832‒96), Chief Commissioner of the British Crown Colony of Burma (1878‒80) and, later Lieutenant Governor of Punjab (1882‒87), whose daughter Beatrice Clementina married Dunlop Smith.

Elements:

1) High Court Calcutta

2) The Strand Calcutta

3) Lall Dighi & Post Office, Calcutta

4) Eden Gardens Calcutta

5) The Maidan & Government House, Calcutta

6) United Service Club, Calcutta

7) The Outram Statue, Calcutta

8) The Cathedral Calcutta

9) The Post Office, Calcutta

10) Lall Dighi & Post Office, Calcutta

11) Looshais ‒ Captn Lewin

12) Looshais

13) Raja King of Sikkim and suite ‒ Lt: Govr. of Bengal and suite [Darjeeling] Sir George Campbell

14) Lt: Govr. of Bengal and suite with Raja King of Sikkim and followers [Darjeeling] Sir George Campbell

15) Lord Mayor's Tomb

16) The Mall, Simla, in Winter. Below Gorton Castle.

17) Kennedy Lodge, Simla

18) Military Department Office, Simla

19) Simla from Jakko

20) Road round Jakko, Simla

21) Government House, Simla

22) Government House, Murree

23) Foreign Office, Simla, 1870.

24) Tomb of Shaikh Salim Chishti,] Futtehpore Seekree

25) [Panch Mahal,] Futtehpore Seekree

26) The Taj, Agra

27) Itmad-ud-Dowla's Tomb, Agra

28) The Baillie Guard, Lucknow

29) Hosseinabad, Lucknow

30) Installation of Maharana of Oodeypoor with Star of India With Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. J P Nixon, 1871

31) [Installation of Maharana of Oodeypoor with Star of India.]

32) Entrance to Jeypor

33) Entrance to Jeypor

34) Entrance to Bushire Residency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, established in the provinces and regions considered part of, or under the influence of, British India.

35) Bushire Resident's Country House

36) Bushire, sea-side view

37) Governor's House, Bushire

38) Bahrein

39) Old Portuguese Fort, Bahrein

40) Ruffar Fort, Bahrein

41) Telegraph Station, Jask

42) Sultan's Palace, Muscat

43) Muscat Consulate & Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent.

44) Town of Muscat from inland plain

45) Fort Capitano, Muscat

46) Fort Jellalee, Muscat

47) Muscat Cove

48) Minaret in Ormuz

49) Bassidore Station

50) [Viceroy and Council, (?) Simla.] Mr. E. Clive Bayley, Secretary, Home Department; Colonel C. H. Dickens, Secretary, War Department; Colonel W. H. Norman, Secretary, Military Department; Sir W. H. Muir, Secretary, Foreign Department; Mr. Whitley Stokes, Secretary, Legislative Department; Mr. E. H. Lushington, Secretary, Finance Department; Hon'ble Mr. W. N. Massey, Hon. Mem., Finance Dept.; Hon'ble Mr. G. Noble Taylor, Hon. Mem., Public Works Dept.; Hon'ble Sir W. Mansfield, Commander-in Chief; H. E. Sir J. L. M. Lawrence, Viceroy; Hon'ble Sir H. S. Maine, Hon. Mem., Legislative Dept.; Hon'ble Sir W. Grey, Hon. Mem., Home Dept.; Hon'ble Colonel H. M. Durand, Hon. Mem., Military Dept.

51) Lord Northbrook & suite with Maharaja of Puttiala ‒ 1875

52) [Newspaper cutting with caricature of Sir Richard Temple]

53) Burra Dick on The Great Tribulation! See Vanity Fair ‒ Jany. 1881

54) Chief of Western Karennee & his Wife [Burma]. Ink and watercolour on paper

55) Red Karen, Mounted [Burma]. Ink and watercolour on paper

56) Red Karen Woman [Burma]. Ink and watercolour on paper

57) Bald-headed Karens [Burma]. Ink and watercolour on paper

58) Sambhur Lake. Extraction of Salt from Bed of Lake

59) Measuring Labourers' Work and Storing Salt [Sambhar Lake]

60) Filling Salt into Bags and Weighing the Salt [Sambhar Lake]

61) A Katar or String of Camels taking away the Salt.

62) [Courtyard of Museum in Florence, with statuary arranged in colonnade.]

63) [View of Florence, looking across the Arno towards the Duomo.]

64) Investiture of Maharana of Oudeypour as a G.C.S.I.

65) Camperdown Pressing Coy. ‒ Calcutta.

66) Camperdown Pressing Coy. ‒ Calcutta.

67) Camperdown Pressing Coy. ‒ Calcutta.

68) Camperdown Pressing Coy. ‒ Calcutta.

69) Camperdown Pressing Coy. ‒ Calcutta.

70) Camperdown Pressing Coy. ‒ Calcutta.

71) Camperdown Pressing Coy. ‒ Calcutta.

72) Camperdown Pressing Coy. ‒ Calcutta.

73) The Hooghly above Calcutta

74) The Hooghly above Calcutta

75) [Apollo Bunder Pier, Bombay. Incorrectly captioned:] Railway Jetty, Howrah, Calcutta.

76) Interior of the Union Church, Simla.

77) Thakoor Mawjee Bathee ‒ Oudeypoor.

78) [Portrait of an unidentified European woman.]

79) Haileybury civilians at Simla in 1880

80) The Chumba Durbar A public or private audience held by a high-ranking British colonial representative (e.g. Viceroy, Governor-General, or member of the British royal family). Accession of Raja King Sham Singh 1873

81) Yarkund Mission, 1873 ‒ After rain. Dhul Canal, Cashmere

82) Yarkund Mission, 1873 ‒ Camp. Srinuggur.

83) Yarkund Mission, 1873 ‒ Camp. Tara Sing, Monshee, etc. [Srinagar].

84) Yarkund Mission, 1873 ‒ View at Srinuggur

85) Yarkund Mission, 1873 ‒ Camp View

86) Yarkund Mission, 1873. Fair ones of Ladak!

87) Yarkund Mission, 1873. ‒ Indus Valley, Leh.

88) Yarkund Mission, 1873. ‒ Palace and Monastery, Leh.

89) Yarkund Mission, 1873. ‒ View in Bazar, Leh.

90) Yarkund Mission, 1873. ‒ View in Bazar, Leh.

91) Yarkund Mission, 1873. ‒ Group at Leh.

92) Yarkund Mission, 1873. ‒ Raja King of Ladak and Ranees [Leh].

93) Yarkund Mission, 1873. ‒ Nubra Valley from Panamik. Boodhist Chortuns in the foreground.

94) Yarkund Mission, 1873. ‒ The gods of the Boodhists [Panamik].

95) Yarkund Mission, 1873. ‒ Hot breakfast in Sasser Pass! Elevation 17,000 ft.

96) Yarkund Mission, 1873. ‒ Kirgiz Akoe. Our smoking Divan [Xaidulla].

97) Yarkund Mission, 1873. ‒ Group at Kurgallik.

98) Yarkund Mission, 1873. ‒ Yoozbashees. Attendants.

99) Yarkund Mission, 1873. ‒ Medical influence [Yarkand].

100) Yarkund Mission, 1873. ‒ Street hawkers, Yarkund.

101) Yarkund Mission, 1873. ‒ Dastarkhwan [Kargilik].

102) Yarkund Mission, 1873. ‒ Artillery of the Guard [Yarkand].

103) Yarkund Mission, 1873. ‒ Verandah of Audience Hall, Yarkund.

104) Yarkund Mission, 1873. ‒ Akhoe [tent] extraordinary.

105) Yarkund Mission, 1873. ‒ Letter and presents from the Queen of England to the Ameer of Yarkund.

106) Yarkund Mission, 1873. ‒ Presents to the Ameer [of Kashgar].

107) Yarkund Mission, 1873. ‒ Oves Poli [Kashgar].

108) Yarkund Mission, 1873. ‒ Chinese [sic for Tungani] troops [Kashgar].

109) Yarkund Mission, 1873. ‒ Chinese [sic for Tungani] troops [Kashgar].

110) Yarkund Mission, 1873. ‒ Oves Poli [Kashgar]

111) Yarkund Mission, 1873. ‒ Party leaving [Kashgar] for Cabool [Kabul].

112) Yarkund Mission, 1873. ‒ Andijani merchants [Kashgar].

113) [Lama Yuru, Ladak. Buddhist Monastery and Chortens.]

114) Hon’ble Terence Bourke 1872.

115) The Pseudo Nana Sahib as apprehended ‒ 1874

116) The Pseudo Nana Sahib shaved & in Mahratta dress.

117) Thugs.

118) Thugs.

119) Foreign Office. Simla 1875.

120) Zanzibar 1875

121) Clement Park, Lochee [Dundee].

122) Foreign Office. Simla

123) Sketch of the Gateway at Tank [Tonk] in the Punjab. The scene of the fatal accident to Sir H. M. Durand, K.C.S.I., &c. &c.

124) Port Blair, Andaman Islands. The scene of the assassination of the Viceroy of India.

125) View of the Jetty at Hope Town, Port Blair, the Scene of the Assassination of the Viceroy of India.

126) Port Blair from Ross Island [Andaman Islands]

127) Port Blair from Ross Island [Andaman Islands]

128) Viceroy of India & Council. Simla, 1874

129) Secretaries to Govt. of India. Simla 1874

130) Clement Park, Lochee [Dundee]

131) Wedding Party. Simla 1875.

132) [Major Sandeman & Belooch chiefs.]

133) Major Sandeman & Belooch chiefs.

134) Belooch chiefs.

135) Pressing Mill. Cossipore [Calcutta]

136) Cossipore [Calcutta]

137) House at Cossipore [Calcutta].

138) [House at Cossipore, Calcutta.]

139) Group at Cossipore [Calcutta].

140) [Group at Cossipore, Calcutta.]

141) Cardean [Meigle, Scotland]

142) Cardean House, Meigle [Scotland].

143) Cardean House, Meigle [Scotland].

144) Views at Cardean [Meigle, Scotland]

145) Views at Cardean [Meigle, Scotland]

146) Views at Cardean [Meigle, Scotland]

147) View at Cardean [Meigle, Scotland]

148) Views at Cardean [Meigle, Scotland]

149) Views at Cardean [Meigle, Scotland]

150) Chief Commissioner's House, Rangoon.

151) New Government House, Rangoon.

152) [Chief Commissioner's House, Rangoon.]

153) Chief Commissioner's House, Rangoon.

154) 'Irrawaddy', Chief Comr's River Steamer [Burma].

155) [Views of the Town Church, Rangoon.]

156) Views of the Town Church, Rangoon.

157) St. John's College, Rangoon.

158) District Courts & Public Offices, Rangoon.

159) [View of Merchant Street, Rangoon.]

160) View of Merchant Street, Rangoon.

161) Recorder's Court, Rangoon.

162) [Shwe Dagon Pagoda, Rangoon]

163) Pagodas at Rangoon [Shwe Dagon Pagoda].

164) Public Gardens, Rangoon.

165) Shwe Dagon Pagoda, Rangoon.

166) Royal Lakes, Rangoon.

167) Public Gardens, Rangoon.

168) Approach to the Great Pagoda, Rangoon.

169) Fancy Costumes. Rangoon, 1879.

170) [Rangoon Groups]

171) Rangoon Groups.

172) Pilcher's House. Thayetmyo.

173) Prome.

174) The Great Pagoda, Prome.

175) Entrance to Great Pagoda, Prome.

176) [Group of Charles Umpherston Aitchison, Chief Commissioner of Burma, with Photographic Department of St Peter's Institute, (?Rangoon.]

177) Bassein River with Chief Comr's steamer 'Irrawaddy'.

178) Entrance to the Pagoda at Bassein.

179) Entrance to the Pagoda at Bassein.

180) [Elephant Battery, Tonghoo.]

181) [Elephant Battery, Tonghoo.]

182) Elephant Battery, Tonghoo.

183) [Views at Tonghoo.]

184) [Views at Tonghoo.]

185) Views at Tonghoo.

186) Ancient image of Gaudama, Zaing-ga-naing.

187) Interior of caves at Paghat [Kawgun Cave].

188) Alguada Reef Lighthouse.

189) Kyaik-than-lan or Than-lan Pagoda, Moulmein.

190) View on the Salween. Duke of York's Nose.

191) Group at Tharrawaddy, British Burma

192) Court House at Tharrawaddy.

193) Boodhist Monastery at Rangoon.

194) Boodhist Monastery [Burma]

195) [Burmese pagoda]

196) Pagodas and Monastery [Burma]

197) Pagodas and Monastery [Burma].

198) Pagodas and Monastery [Burma].

199) Pagodas and Monastery [Burma].

200) A Karen Village [Burma]

201) Queen of Eastern Karennee [Burma].

202) A group of Shans [Burma].

203) A Boodhist Priest [Burma].

204) A Boodhist Priest [Burma].

205) Burmese women selling fruit

206) Burmese women

207) Burmese men.

208) Karen women

209) Burmese woman

210) Punjab Officers [at Simla]. 1884.

211) The Punjab Government, [Barnes Court, Simla,] 1882.

212) [Aitchison family group, Barnes Court, Simla.]

213) Barnes Court, Simla. 1882.

214) [Burmese Embassy at Simla]

215) [Letterpress key to sitters in Photo 355/1/214]

216) [Burmese Embassy at Simla]

217) Dancing women of the Choráha — Hills between Chamba and Pangi.

218) Women of the Choráha

219) Men of Pangi Valley

220) Men of Chamba-Láhul

221) Gaddi Band.

222) Gaddis of Barinaur

223) Senate Hall. Lahore.

224) Government College. Lahore.

225) The Mosque of Wazir Minister. Khan, Lahore. Fresco decoration, of the Interior XVII century work. From a drawing by Mohamed Din, Allah-ud-din and Amir Baksh, students of the Lahore School of Art.

226) Missionary Conference, Amritsar, 1883.

227) [Unidentified group, India]

228) [Group of Viceroy and Lady Ripon and staff, Simla, 1884]

229) [Barnes Court, Simla]

230) [Barnes Court, Simla]

231 [Unidentified Church, (?)India]

232) [Group of Sir Charles Aitchison and staff, Multan, Feb. 1884. Names given at Photo 355/2/19]

[The following are loose photographs:]

233) Group of two natives of Hunza and two from Nagyr in hostile attitude, a native of Agasin being the umpire. They all speak the same language and belong to the same race, but Hunza and Nagyr are hereditary foes, only combining against a foreign enemy. A river divides the countries of Hunza and Nagyr, a Hunza fort being ever confronted with one of Nagyr on the opposite bank.

234) Group of Nagyries now at Srinagar. On the right seated in a chair is Raja King Habibulla, son of the ruling Tham of Nagyr. On the ground is a Nagyr Sayad of good position and some Education in Arabic & Persian. He is one of the bi-ennial hostages sent from Nagyr to Kashmir.

235) Group of Chitrali players who generally precede a procession of the Chief. In the midst is Taighum Shah, a Court singer and player of reputation. The Chitrali melodies are singularly beautiful and the poetry shows much appreciation of nature.

236) Christ Church Simla, in snow.

Inscriptions:

Spine, gold emboss: ‘Album’

Throughout the album captions are hand-lettered in black ink. Further notations in pencil have been added later by cataloguers and album owner alike.

Extent and format

232 b&w photographic prints, other printed material and 4 watercolour drawings, bound into a green and brown half leather album

It is grouped into

'Entrance to Bushire Residency'

1 image

Ref: Photo 355/1/34

'Bushire Resident's Country House'

1 image

Ref: Photo 355/1/35

'Bushire sea-side view.'

1 image

Ref: Photo 355/1/36

'Governor's House Bushire'

1 image

Ref: Photo 355/1/37

'Bahrein'

1 image

Ref: Photo 355/1/38

'Old Portuguese Fort, Bahrein'

1 image

Ref: Photo 355/1/39

'Ruffar Fort, Bahrein'

1 image

Ref: Photo 355/1/40

'Telegraph Station, Jask'

1 image

Ref: Photo 355/1/41

'Sultan's Palace, Muscat'

1 image

Ref: Photo 355/1/42

'Muscat Consulate & Agency'

1 image

Ref: Photo 355/1/43

'Town of Muscat from inland plain.'

1 image

Ref: Photo 355/1/44

'Fort Capitano, Muscat'

1 image

Ref: Photo 355/1/45

'Fort Jellalee, Muscat'

1 image

Ref: Photo 355/1/46

'Muscat Cove'

1 image

Ref: Photo 355/1/47

'Minaret in Ormuz'

1 image

Ref: Photo 355/1/48

'Bassidore Station'

1 image

Ref: Photo 355/1/49

'Zanzibar'. Photographer: Sir John Kirk

1 image

Ref: Photo 355/1/120

Physical characteristics

Dimensions:

Album: 498 x 325 x 53 mm

Format:

Green and broad half leather album containing two hundred and thirty-six photographic and other prints as well as four watercolour drawings, lightly pasted into volume, except for the final four images, which are loose.

Materials:

Paper, black ink, watercolour, albumen Method of printing photographs using an emulsion of salt and egg white (albumen). prints, mechanically printed material, newspaper cuttings, marbled endpapers.

Condition:

While the binding is still sturdy for the most part – aside from extensive scuffing and losses at all edges, particularly upper spine – the individual paper pages are foxed discoloured, torn and crumbling throughout.

Foliation:

The images have been numbered 1–236 alongside each image in pencil and paginated 1–120 in pencil in the upper right and left corners of each page, though the pagination has later been crossed out. Some additional image sequencing in pencil (e.g. a–d per image on each page) has been crossed out.

Process:

Albumen Method of printing photographs using an emulsion of salt and egg white (albumen). prints

Binding:

The album is bound in green and brown half leather format, which is heavily scuffed along the spine, particularly at the upper spine. The binding also features linen joints and hand-stitching. A now-detached twisted blue string may have served as a page marker.

Written in

English in Latin script

Type

Photograph

Access & Reference

Original held at

British Library: India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. Records and Private Papers Documents collected in a private capacity.

Access conditions

Unrestricted

Archive reference

Photo 355/1

History of this record

Date(s)

1860s-1880s (CE, Gregorian)

Places

BurmaPersian GulfFlorenceScotland, Kingdom ofZanzibarBaluchistanPort BlairYarkand

People & organisations

Bourne and Shepherd, photographersJames Robert Dunlop SmithSir Charles Umpherston Aitchison, KnightSir John Kirk, KnightWilliam George StrettonSir Edward Francis Chapman, KnightRobert PhillipsJames ValentineJames CraddockJohn Edward Saché

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Cite this record in your research

'Dunlop Smith Collection: Sir Charles Aitchison Album of Views in India and Burma', British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, Photo 355/1, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100023281998.0x000001> [accessed 27 December 2024]

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