1998.131.523 (Print black & white)
1998.131.523 (Print black & white)
Frederick Spencer Chapman
Frederick Spencer Chapman
August 28th 1936
Lhasa > Shide Drokhang
1998.131.523
155 x 112
Print gelatin silver
Donated 1994
Mrs Faith Spencer Chapman
British Diplomatic Mission to Lhasa 1936-37
Frederick Spencer Chapman
C.1.11 [view film roll]
SC.T.2.523
Manual Catalogues - Caption in Chapman's hand-written list of negatives made whilst on the Mission to Lhasa, 1936-7 [See PRM Manuscripts Collection]: 'Big monk, alone'; PRM Manuscripts Collection: ‘List of Tibetan Prints and Negatives’ - Book 2: ‘34/1 - The huge monk attendant of the Regent outside the latter’s summer palace’ [MS 01/04/2006]
Other Information - Related Images: It has been possible to identify the reference number for this image by cross-referencing the caption for related images prefixed with 'C.1' and identifying the image in the draft album of the images taken during the Mission which was on loan to the PRM for the exhibition "Seeing Lhasa: British Depictions of the Tibetan Capital" (2003-4) [MS 01/04/2006]
Other Information - Related Images: Images prefixed with 'C.1' comprise a group of negatives containing images of Gould, Prime Minister, Regent, ‘big’ monk. They seem all to have been taken on August 27th - 28th 1936, with images in the Regent's palace being taken on the latter date [MS 01/04/2006]
Other Information - Setting: The Regent of Tibet, Reting Rinpoche, (seated) with a monk attendant known to the British as “Simple Simon” standing by. Spencer Chapman describes this photographic session: “when we all went into the garden the Regent had no objection to being photographed, and it was all I could do to persuade his huge orderly (whom we nicknamed Simple Simon) to move about when I wanted to take some cinema films; he struck what he thought was an imposing attitude and resolutely refused to move.” In the 1936 Mission Diaries “Simple Simon” appears again: 28th August – Lhasa – in the morning they called upon the Regent at his home. “Neame and Chapman were allowed to take photos and cine of the Regent; amongst his attendants was a giant lama, some 7-feet high, and when Neame snapped him he began to talk and wave his arms. These were not threatening gestures as he was only asking for a copy of the photo”. [CH 2003]
Other Information - Description: "The woodwork round the windows is cleverly carved and painted in bright colours. Boxes of gay flowers stand on every window-sill protected from the sun by awnings of white cloth. Moreover the palace [Shide Drokhang] lies in a walled garden with well-kept lawns, and beds full of English flowers in luxuriant bloom. The Regent is extremely fond of pets. He has several cages full of birds, including a talking a 'mina' and a laughing thrush that makes the most fantastic noises in the middle of the most serious conversations" ['Lhasa: The Holy City', F. Spencer Chapman, London: Chatto & Windus, 1938, p. 100] [MS 01/04/2006]
For Citation use:
The Tibet Album.
"Monk attendant to Reting Rinpoche"
05 Dec. 2006. The Pitt Rivers Museum.
<http://tibet.prm.ox.ac.uk/photo_1998.131.523.html>.
For more information about photographic usage or to order prints, please visit the The Pitt Rivers Museum.
© The Pitt Rivers Museum
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