{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O107385"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O107385/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AC7547/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AC7547/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2006AC7547","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O107385/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O107385","accessionNumber":"53059","objectType":"Photograph","titles":[{"title":"Narkunda, Village and Dak Bumgalow","type":"assigned by artist"}],"summaryDescription":"This is one of the many images of India captured by the English photographer Samuel Bourne. From July to December 1866 he toured a part of the Himalayan region. He wrote about his journey in The British Journal of Photography, outlining his route and in some cases describing the scenes he photographed. \r\n\r\nHere is his description of the history of this view: 'Four easy stages along the capital Thibet road brought us to the village of Narkunda, where the picturesque travellers' bungalow formed my first picture…. Viewed from the veranda of the bungalow, the range of snowy peaks forms an unbroken line for about 90 per cent of the horizon, and in fine, clear weather is a grand sight. But alas! The sight was not for us. During our stay of two days a dense mist hid all the glories from our anxious gaze, or, if it cleared off for an instant, it only revealed a bank of clouds piled up as a second and higher range of peaks on the top of and concealing the real one.'","physicalDescription":"In the mid ground is the tourist or Dak Bungalow. It is a large building painted white with a double tiered roof. Set on a hill, below it are a row of smaller houses, probably for the villagers who help maintain the bungalow. In the background is a hill covered with trees and in the foreground, on the right hand side is the roof of a small house. The detail is clear enough to see the wood grains and slate of which the roof is made. There are two figures in the photograph, both in the midground, one is a European, possibly Dr G.R. Playfair who was accompanying him on this journey, and the other is a villager. Both look in opposite directions and have been placed to add a further point of interest to the composition.\r\n\r\nSignature and negative number on bottom right hand side.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Bourne, Samuel","id":"A8171"},"association":{"text":"photographer","id":"AAT25687"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[],"techniques":[{"text":"wet collodion process","id":"AAT133299"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Albumen print from wet collodion glass negative","categories":[{"text":"Photographs","id":"THES48910"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"SSEA","id":"THES48598"},"images":["2006AC7547"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"003","id":"THES403839"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"photograph","id":"AAT46300"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"India","id":"x29790"},"association":{"text":"photographed","id":"x30151"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1866","earliest":"1866-01-01","latest":"1866-12-31"},"association":{"text":"photographed","id":"x30151"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Width","value":"29","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"photograph","note":""},{"dimension":"Height","value":"23.6","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"photograph","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"32.8","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"mount","note":""},{"dimension":"Height","value":"26.7","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"mount","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"Signature and negative number in bottom right hand corner","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":""}],"objectHistory":"The photograph was initially part of the photographic collection held in the National Art Library. The markings on the mount are an indication of the history of the object, its movement through the museum and the way in which it was categorised.\r\nThe mount is white with hand written text on top: topography, India, IIbd.\r\nOn right hand side: A.in. Narkanda\r\nBottom: Label from Bourne catalogue with 'Narkanda' handwritten beside it.","historicalContext":"Samuel Bourne wrote an account of his journey in which he mentions the places that he photographed. Below is the relevant section for this photograph:\r\n\r\n'Four easy stages along the capital Thibet road brought us to the village of Narkunda, where the picturesque travellers' bungalow formed my first picture. Narkunda is well known to many visitors of Simla, and is celebrated for the magnificent view it affords of the snowy ranges of Spiti, Chini, and Gangootri, and also for a splendid pine forest through which the new road is carried. Viewed from the veranda of the bungalow, the range of snowy peaks forms an unbroken line for about 90% of the horizon, and in fine, clear weather is a grand sight. But alas! The sight was not for us. During our stay of two days a dense mist hid all the glories from our anxious gaze, or, if it cleared off for an instant, it only revealed a bank of clouds piled up as a second and higher range of peaks on the top of and concealing the real one.'\r\n\r\nBourne, S, A Photographic journey through the Higher Himalayas, The British Journal of Photography, November 26 1869, pg 570.","briefDescription":"Photograph of a Dak Bungalow, Narkanda, India, by Samuel Bourne, 1866.","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Bourne, S, A Photographic journey through the Higher Himalayas, The British Journal of Photography, November 26 1869, pg 570."}],"production":"The negative was made in 1866. This print was made before March 1867.","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[{"text":"India","id":"x29790"}],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"bungalow","id":"AAT5495"}],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["53059"],"accessionNumberNum":"53059","accessionNumberPrefix":"","accessionYear":null,"otherNumbers":[{"type":{"text":"Negative number","id":"THES50273"},"number":"1426"}],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-15","recordCreationDate":"2004-11-19","availableToBook":true}}