Key Information

Photographer

Rabden Lepcha?

Collection

Sir Charles Bell

Date of Photo

1920 - 1921

Region

Lhasa > Jokhang > Smallpox Doring

Accession number

1998.285.73

Image Dimensions

120 x 163 mm

Smallpox Doring near Jokhang, with groups of people observing photographer on either side of the monument

Further Information

Photographic Process

Negative glass plate gelatin , Negative Half Plate

Date Acquired

Donated 1983

Donated by

St Antony's College, Oxford.

Copy difference

Intensifier

Expedition

Sir Charles Bell's Mission to Lhasa 1920-21

Photo also owned by

Royal Central Asiatic Society

Previous Catologue Number

H.66

Previous Pitt Rivers Museum Number

BL.H.66

Manual Catalogues -

Manual Catalogues - Bell's List of Illustrations entry: "[No. of chapter] IV. [Subject of Chapter] History up to 1900. [Subject of illustration] H66 (u) Smallpox doring, near Tsuk La Kang, in winter. See (h). [Remarks] L.34 [Lantern slide 34]". Reference to 'See (h)' in Bell's entry: "[No. of chapter] IV. [Subject of Chapter] History up to 1900. [Subject of illustration] Q20 (h) [quarter plate 20; 1998.286.21.1] Smallpox edict near Tsuk-La-Kang, in winter, containing instructions for for segregation during smallpox epidemics. [remarks] L.25 [lantern slide 25]

Other Information - There are four Q plates of this doring : Q.20 a & b [1998.286.21.1&2] and Q.21 a & b [1998.286.23.1&2]. However they were clearly taken at different times because the tree in the background of Q21 a & b has very lush foliage [MS 4/8/2004]

Other Information - Setting

Other Information - Setting: Bell's Diary for 3rd May 1921:"Tri-mon Shape is making copies of the Lhasa, ie: Tsuk Lha-khang, Doring for me, and apparently of the Sho Doring also. He has had parts of them rubbed with oil to make the letters clearer. The translations into Tibetan of the Chinese inscriptions on the Tsuk Lha-khang Doring, made for the Simla Conference, 1913-14, were made by the Chinese interpreter to the Ka-sha." [Vol. X., p.47]

Bell's diary for 30th July 1921:" Per Tsendron "The weeping willow trees are called 'Chinese willows' ( Gya chang ). Since the 5th D[alai] L[ama]'s death all the trees and flowers have drooped a little. The Cho U-tra over the Small Pox Edict in Lhasa, is a Chinese willow." [diary Vol. XI, p.65]

For Citation use:
The Tibet Album. "Smallpox Doring at Jokhang, Lhasa" 05 Dec. 2006. The Pitt Rivers Museum. <http://tibet.prm.ox.ac.uk/photo_1998.285.73.html>.

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Smallpox Doring at Jokhang, Lhasa