{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O80713"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O80713/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AH2901/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AH2901/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2006AH2901","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O80713/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O80713","accessionNumber":"3-1972","objectType":"Photograph","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"","physicalDescription":"Detailed temple sculpture of the Well of Knowledge in Benares.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Bourne, Samuel","id":"A5740"},"association":{"text":"photographer","id":"AAT25687"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"albumen","id":"AAT11802"}],"techniques":[{"text":"albumen process","id":"AAT133274"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Albumen prints","categories":[{"text":"Photographs","id":"THES48910"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"PDP","id":"THES48595"},"images":["2006AH2901"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"LVLF","id":"THES49656"},"free":"","case":"X","shelf":"844","box":"A"}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"photograph","id":"AAT46300"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Benares","id":"x30824"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"ca.1863-1866","earliest":"1858-01-01","latest":"1867-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"28.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"24","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"","historicalContext":"Samuel Bourne (1834-1912) left his job as a bank clerk in Nottingham to become a professional photographer, and in 1863 sailed to India to develop his new career. He remained there for several years to become recognised as one of the most successful British photographers to document the expanding British empire. His photographs were produced primarily for the European market, and provided a glimpse of India as a distant colonised land and its people. Bourne's photographic success was a combination of his impressive photographic skill  and ability to present photographs of India that co-incided with the western, Orientalist vision of the exotic East. In 1870 Bourne took up permanent residency in England and withdrew from photography after establishing a cotton-doubling mill. In 1896 after retiring from business he devoted his time to watercolour painting.","briefDescription":"Photograph by Samuel Bourne of Well of Knowledge, Varanasi, India. ca.1863-1866.","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Haworth-Booth, Mark (1984) 'The Golden Age of British Photography 1839-1900: Photography from the Victoria and Albert Museum' Aperture in assoc. with the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Victoria and Albert Museum, London.\r\n\r\nTaylor, Roger (1980) \"Samuel Bourne: Photographic Views in India\", Sheffield City Polytechnic, Nottingham."}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["3-1972"],"accessionNumberNum":"3","accessionNumberPrefix":"","accessionYear":1972,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-25","recordCreationDate":"2003-05-14","availableToBook":false}}