Samuel Bourne photographs, circa 1861-1890

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Summary

Creator:
Bourne, Samuel, 1834-1912, Bourne, Samuel, 1834-1912, and Bourne, Samuel, 1834-1912
Abstract:
Collection consists of 19th century albumen photographs taken by commercial photographer Samuel Bourne and other partners as they traveled to sites in modern-day India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Burma. Of the 646 prints in the collection, 200 are mounted in three large bound commercial photograph albums, while the remaining 446 are single, loose prints; all were published by the firm Bourne & Shepherd. The majority of the prints range in size from roughly 6x9 to 10x12 inches. Subjects include the vast landscapes of nothern India; landmarks such as temples, rivers and canals, monuments, mountain hostels, and European-built cathedrals and civic structures; rural scenes from villages and tea plantations; and scenes from the cities of Delhi, Bombay (Mumbai), and Calcutta (Kolkata). There are also several dozen ethnic portraits of native inhabitants and group portraits of English officials and Indian counterparts. A number of images have been attributed to Bourne's partners Charles Shepherd and Colin Murray.
Extent:
21 Linear Feet (26 boxes)
Language:
Material in English
Collection ID:
RL.00130

Background

Scope and content:

Collection consists of mid- to late 19th century albumen photographs taken by commercial photographer Samuel Bourne and other partners in the Bourne & Shepherd as they traveled to sites in modern-day India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Burma. Some of the early images in the collection, circa 1861, may be the work of a predecessor studio, Shepherd & Robertson. Most Bourne & Shepherd studio negative numbers after 2200 are considered the work of studio photographers following Bourne's departure in 1871; in particular, Colin Murray is considered Bourne's successor.

Of the 646 prints in the collection, 200 are mounted in three large, fine photograph albums published by the studio Bourne & Shepherd, while the remaining 446 loose prints are either loose or mounted on thin board. The collection also includes a small 1890 pamphlet on native Indian artworks collected by Colonel H. B. Hanna.

Subjects represented in the images include the vast landscapes of northern India; landmarks such as Hindu temples, bridges, rivers and canals, monuments, forts, mountain hostels, and European-built cathedrals and civic structures; rural scenes of villages and newly-established tea plantations; newly constructed railroads; and scenes from the cities of Delhi, Bombay (Mumbai), and Calcutta (Kolkata). Nearly every scene features a few human figures carefully posed for scale or atmosphere. Also present are a series of group portraits of English officials with their Indian counterparts, and group portraits of Indian royalty. There are also several dozen portraits of native inhabitants produced as part of the ethnic studies common to the late 19th century; most have been attributed to Bourne's partner Charles Shepherd. Many of these group studies were published in the eight-volume "People of India" (1868-1875), and indeed most of the portraits in this collection are on pages taken from these volumes.

The majority of the prints range in size from roughly 6x9 to 11x14 inches, with most around 10x12 inches, but a handful are smaller cartes-de-visite sizes. The images were secured in the field, often under extreme conditions, using the wet-collodion process to produce glass plate negatives. Some of the photographs come in oval forms and other shapes, but most are rectangular in form. Judging from marks on their backings, many were previously mounted in albums or books.

Biographical / historical:

Samuel Bourne (1834-1912) was born in Shropshire, England, and began his career in photography around 1855. Bourne sailed for India in 1863, settling in the northern city of Shimla, which served as the launching place for the lengthy trips he took to regions of modern-day India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Burma. One of his trips was devoted to finding and photographing the source of the Ganges in the Himalayas. He co-founded the Bourne & Shepherd studio, which eventually operated offices in Simla, Calcutta (Kolkata), and Bombay (Mumbai). Some of the images in the collection may also be the work of an earlier studio, Shepherd & Robertson, formed by Bourne's eventual partner Charles Shepherd. In 1870 Bourne returned permanently to England with his wife, Mary. In 1879, Charles Shepherd also left India.

Most Bourne & Shepherd studio negative numbers above 2200 are considered the work of studio photographers active after Bourne's departure in 1871. Colin Murray seems to have been Bourne's chief photographic successor, receiving all of Bourne's equipment; following Shepherd's departure, Colin Murray became chief photographer and then was appointed as the firm's manager.

Back in England, Bourne became a businessman and magistrate, passing away in 1912. Colin Murray died in Calcutta in 1884. The firm Bourne & Shepherd closed in 2016; up until then it was one of the oldest photography firms in the world in continuous operation. The thousands of glass plate negatives Bourne had left behind were destroyed in a fire in 1991.

Acquisition information:
The Samuel Bourne photographs were received by the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book Manuscript Library as a purchase in 2012, 2014, and 2016, and 2017.
Processing information:

Processed by Paula Jeannet, Matthew Warren, October 2012. Subsequent additions processed and described by Paula Jeannet, 2015-2017.

Accession(s) described in this finding aid: 2012-0059, 2012-0117, 2012-0118, 2014-0212, 2016-0124, 2016-0125, and 2017-0205.

Arrangement:

All prints, whether loose or mounted in albums, are listed in the collection guide in negative number order, following the original negative number sequence on the Bourne & Shepherd studio's commercial list, which has been reconstructed by historian Hugh Rayner.

Physical facet:
646 items
Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Contents

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Restrictions:

Collection is open for research.

Terms of access:

The copyright interests in this collection have not been transferred to Duke University. For more information, consult the copyright section of the Regulations and Procedures of the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library.

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Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Samuel Bourne photographs, David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Duke University.

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