Wife and children of Changra Depon

Wife and children of Changra Depon

1998.131.468 (Print black & white)

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Key Information

Photographer

Frederick Spencer Chapman

Collection

Frederick Spencer Chapman

Date of Photo

January 9th 1937

Named Person

Changra Depon's wife, Changra Depon's children

Region

Lhasa > Dekyi Lingka

Accession number

1998.131.468

Image Dimensions

108 x 159

The wife of Changra Depon, the lay Commander-in-Chief and her three children. Full length portraits showing in detail the elaborate jewellery and head dresses worn by aristocratic women and the expensive brocade chuba or outer garments worn even by young children in these families

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

BI.32 In publication
'Lhasa Mission 1936, Diary of Events', P. Neame, H. Richardson, F. S. Chapman, Government of India Political Department [Note: photographs for October 18th - November 4th 1936 are not included as their relationship to text is not detailed; see Mission Diary text for details of images] [see photos in publication]

Previous Pitt Rivers Museum Number

SC.T.2.468

Published

'Lhasa Mission 1936, Diary of Events', P. Neame, H. Richardson, F. S. Chapman, Government of India Political Department [Note: photographs for October 18th - November 4th 1936 are not included as their relationship to text is not detailed; see Mission Diary text for details of images] [view list of illustrations]

Other Information

Notes on print/mount - 'BI 32' has been written on the back of the print in pencil. The name 'F S Chapman' has been written in pencil along the bottom left edge, and the number '13' in a circle in the top right hand corner [MS 27/03/2006]

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]: 'Mrs Ditto [C-in-C] and 3 kids' [MS 27/03/2006]

Other Information - Cultural Background


Other Information - Cultural Background: It was quite common for officials to bring a large retinue of family members with them when they visited the Mission compound at the Dekyi Lingka. This was especially the case when it became the norm for the Mission staff to put on shows using the cine film projector [MS 27/03/2006]

Biographical Information - "Changra was made depon at the age of forty-eight, having previously held only civil appointments. Two years ago, at the age of fifty-six, he was made Commander-in-Chief, and although he knew that many reforms were needed, he did not know where to begin. Chapay, his assistant, had been for many years a depon in Kham. All these officials spoke very freely to Neame and he was able to discover much useful information" ['Lhasa: The Holy City', F. Spencer Chapman, London: Chatto & Windus, 1938, p. 233] [MS 27/03/2006]

Other Information - Related Images


Other Information - Related Images: Images prefixed with 'BI' are a group of negatives containing images of the Lord Chamberlain, the Rumba family, Khampa people, Mongolian women, Lhasa, Iamtso, Lalu Se, Lalu Monastery. They seem to have been taken between January 4th - 9th 1937 [MS 10/03/2006]

Other Information - Setting


Other Information - Setting: Mission Diary entry for January 9th 1937: "Changra, the lay Commander-in-Chief, and Chapay, his assistant, Mingi Lingpa, and Lhalu came to dinner" ['Lhasa Mission, 1936: Diary of Events', Part XII p. 3, written by Chapman] [MS 27/03/2006]


For Citation use:
The Tibet Album. "Wife and children of Changra Depon" 05 Dec. 2006. The Pitt Rivers Museum. <http://tibet.prm.ox.ac.uk/photo_1998.131.468.html>.

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