Key Information

Photographer

Major Finch?

Collection

Frederick Spencer Chapman

Date of Photo

December 1936?

Region

Gyantse

Accession number

1998.131.213.3

Image Dimensions

60 x 91 mm

The Tibetan Trade Agent of Gyantse, right, with a local abbot. They are both wearing clothes made of silk and brocade, with fur linings. Their hats are also fur-lined and the hat of the abbot on the left appears to have a top feature made from lots of small glass beads. The town of Gyantse can be seen in the background, out of focus

Further Information

Photographic Process

Print gelatin silver

Date Acquired

Donated 1994

Donated by

Faith Spencer Chapman

Expedition

British Diplomatic Mission to Lhasa 1936-37

Photo also owned by

Frederick Spencer Chapman

Previous Catologue Number

F.6 [view film roll]

Previous Pitt Rivers Museum Number

SC.T.2.213

Other Information

Notes on print/mount - All three of the contact prints of this image have '640' printed on them in red ink, suggesting that they were made as multiple copies at the same time. They are all printed on velox paper with the brand name 'Velox' enclosed in an oval border [MS 1/2/2005]

Manual Catalogues -

Manual Catalogues - Caption in Chapman's hand-written list of negatives made whilst on the Mission to Lhasa, 1936-7 [See PRM Manuscripts Collection]: '1/2 Abbot and T.T.A [Tibetan Trade Agent] Gyantse'; PRM Manuscripts Collection: ‘List of Tibetan Prints and Negatives’ - Book 1, From Gangtok to the Natu La August 1936: ‘19/2 - On right - the Tibetan Trade Agent Gyantse’ [MS 13/03/2006]

Other Information - Related Images

Other Information - Related Images: Other images within this sequence prefixed with 'F.' comprise a group of negatives containing images of Gyantse, Lhasa band, officials receiving and sending off members of the mission, Chaksam ferry and journey to Lhasa [MS 13/03/2006]

Other Information - Photographer: It is possible that this image was taken not by Chapman but by another photographer, possibly Major Finch, who was made the new Commander of the Gyantse escort in November 1936 and who visited Lhasa for Christmas and New Year, departing on January 2nd 1937. 'F' in this case, therefore, may refer to Major Finch, as the sequence of images suggests a very brief stay in Lhasa around the New Year period, followed by a return to Gyantse. In this case, according to the order of images taken, this image would have been taken before departing for Lhasa. Chapman asked other members of the Mission to use his additional cameras at times, and/or acquired images from them that they took for themselves to include in the Mission collection. It was his habit to identify Nepean's images by inscribing the negative with 'YN' and this may explain the use of 'F' scratched into the negative in this case [MS 7/3/2005]

For Citation use:
The Tibet Album. "Tibetan Abbot and Trade Agent at Gyantse" 05 Dec. 2006. The Pitt Rivers Museum. <http://tibet.prm.ox.ac.uk/photo_1998.131.213.3.html>.

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Tibetan Abbot and Trade Agent at Gyantse