Spotlight
Holiday inspiration: Samuel Bourne
Stark, magnificent, wild. Some of the earliest photographs ever taken of the Himalayas, and what went into their creation
Search Results for: Samuel bourne
Saturdays at Sarmaya
World Photography Day 2023
On 19 August 2023, on World Photography Day, we opened our archive to a group of photography enthusiasts to explore the journey of early photography in India.
Spotlight
Eggs, salt & the delicious decades of albumen print photos
How albumen, a sticky substance found in egg whites, took the elite European hobby of photography and turned into a global phenomenon
Spotlight
Object of the week: Behind-the-scenes of a royal Indian tour
By ship, by yacht, by elephant and by camel. We follow the heir to Queen Victoria on an elaborate tour of India in 1875
Spotlight
Pristine views of the Ganga – World Environment Day 2023
The Ganga is one of the largest contributors to plastic pollution in the world’s oceans. But this wasn’t always the case
Reads
Destination India, a reading list
Five books that showcase how the world once saw India
Spotlight
Object of the week: A rare photo of Dal Lake in the 1800s
On the banks of the Dal Lake with a physician-turned-photographer-turned-mountaineer
Spotlight
Summer Holidays: The origin of India’s hill-stations
From the Himalayas to the Nilgiris, the mountain slopes of India are home to hill-stations. Built by the British, these were sanctuaries designed to get them through sickness and long summers
Spotlight
Tunnel Vision – An environmental history of Indian Railways
From its start in the 19th Century, Indian Railways played a pivotal role in the trade, economy and culture of the Subcontinent. But how did the arrival of trains impact our country’s ecology?
Spotlight
10 interesting facts about Mughal gardens
Mughal emperors considered gardens as one of the most important architectural components of their state—so what made a garden adequately ‘Mughal’? Here are 10 clues
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Lake from Elk Hill, Ootacamund (Ooty)
This view of the Ootacamund in Tamil Nadu was taken by Samuel Bourne (1834-1912) in 1869. The Madras government’s headquarters were relocated to Ootacamund from April to October during colonial rule, making it the summer capital after the 1870s. Because of its cooler climate, Ooty, positioned above the Indian plains, was considered an oasis by… Read more »
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Street View, Tanjore
This photograph, by Samuel Bourne (c.1834 – 1912), is of a street in Thanjavur (formerly Tanjore) from the late 19th century. Since ancient times, Thanjavur, located on the Kaveri Delta, has seen several historical dynasties and rulers from the Cholas, Vijayanagara rulers, Nayakas, Marathas and the British. The name is derived from Tamil, where tanjam, which means “refuge,”… Read more »
Spotlight
Thanjavur – Country of Gods & Kings
Between the 16th and 18th centuries, Thanjavur welcomed large communities of Telugu and Marathi speakers as a consequence of Nayaka and Maratha conquests in Cholamandalam. The result was a slow mingling and simmering of cultural influences, resulting in the unique artistic heritage of this temple town
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The Qutub Minar, Delhi
Pictured here is the 239-foot Qutub Minar, the highest brick minaret in the world. Construction on this iconic tower of victory was begun by Qutb-ud-Din Aibak (r.1206-1210), the first Sultan of Delhi and founder of the Slave Dynasty, and later continued by Shams-ud-Din Iltutmish (r.1211-1236). Accompanying the adjacent Quwwat-ul-Islam Masjid, the minaret rises in five… Read more »
What's New
Photo Album: Views, India Tour. 1881
This album, published in 1881, consists of an extensive collection of 19th century photographs from across India, including views of Delhi, Bombay, Darjeeling, the Himalayas and Ceylon. The photographs are attributed to Samuel Bourne.
Reads
Now reading: The stories every picture tells
An initiation into the Sarmaya team involves the confrontation of and acclimating to certain books from our library. New ‘uns are told this is necessary reading meant to familiarise them with the genres of the collection. Each object inhabits a world that is resonant and multi-faceted and it’s impossible to know where to start. “Today… Read more »
Guides
Picture Perfect: 19th-Century Photography Techniques
Discover the magical alchemy of early photography techniques practiced in India
Collections
View on a Stream at Larji, Kullu,
This photograph of a footbridge over a stream flowing between a valley was captured at Larji in the Kullu district by Samuel Bourne. In 1866, Samuel Bourne proposed to trek the, “rich valley of the Beas river through Kulu, penetrate into the wild and desolate regions of Spiti as far as the borders of Tibet,… Read more »
Collections
Junction of the Wanga and Sutlej Rivers
Samuel Bourne took this photograph of a bridge over the Wanga and the Sutlej river junction during his first expedition in the Himalayas in 1863. In the summer of 1863, on the 29th of July, Bourne set off from Shimla for his ten weeks journey into the Himalayas. This was his very first Himalayan expedition.… Read more »
Collections
View of the Kashmir Road, near Budrawar
This photograph of a river and a snow-clad mountain range in the background near Budrawar, a town four days from Chamba, was taken by Samuel Bourne. Bourne halted here for a day during his second major expedition to Kashmir and adjacent districts in 1864. Reflecting on his encounters with the residents of Budrawar, he wrote… Read more »