Key Information

Photographer

Willoughby Patrick Rosemeyer

Collection

Sir Charles Bell

Date of Photo

August 1922?

Named Person

Chikyak Khenpo

Region

Lhasa > Norbu Lingka

Accession number

1998.286.144.1

Image Dimensions

82 x 107 mm

Zimgakpa and Secretaries watching the Dalai Lama's Ache Lhamo from below the Dalai Lama's tent. Officials seated on the ground in front of a stonework wall; architectural joist ends also visible; verandah above with potted plants, behind which is a curtained-off room in which the Dalai Lama would sit; a step ladder visible for gaining entry to the verandah from the front and a side-view of an ornamental tent in far right of the image

Further Information

Photographic Process

Negative Quarter Plate

Date Acquired

Donated 1983

Donated by

St. Antony's College, Oxford

Copy difference

Lantern

Expedition

Sir Charles Bell

Photo also owned by

Sir Charles Bell; Royal Central Asiatic Society

Previous Catologue Number

Q.278-132

Previous Pitt Rivers Museum Number

BL.Q.278-132

Related Collections

British Library, Oriental and India Office Collections

Published

'Portrait of the Dalai Lama', Sir Charles Bell, London: Collins, 1946 [view list of illustrations]

Manual Catalogues -

Manual Catalogues - Bell's List of Illustrations entry: "[No. of chapter] XXVII. [Subject of Chapter] Amusements [Subject of Illustration] Q.278-132 Sim-ka-pas and Secretaries watching D.L.'s Ache Lhamo from below D[alai] L[ama]'s tent. [Remarks] Rosemeyer's."

Other Information - Dates

Other Information - Dates: A date of 1922 has been given to this image because this is the first date that one can determine that Rosemeyer went to Lhasa officially. This journey was made in order to complete the extension of the telegraph line from Gyantse to the capital. According to the Assistant Engineer W. H. King, Rosemeyer and the team were allowed to wander freely around the Potala and the Norbu Lingka in order to connect the telegraph lines there: "Rosemeyer was given permission to photograph anything he liked except one image in the Cathedral" [King, W. H. The Telegraph to Lhasa in 'The Geographical Journal', Vol. LXIII No. 6, June 1924: 529] Although Rosemeyer visited Lhasa on numerous occasions after 1922, it seems that Bell probably acquired this picture from him then, prior to Bell's return to the UK for a number of years, during which time he worked on his manuscripts [MS 29/7/2004]

Contemporary Publication -

Contemporary Publication - Published in 'Portrait of the Dalai Lama', Bell, C. A., London: Collins, 1946, facing p.319 (top):"The Dalai Lama's Chief Secretary on left."

For Citation use:
The Tibet Album. "Officials watching Dalai Lama's Ache Lhamo" 05 Dec. 2006. The Pitt Rivers Museum. <http://tibet.prm.ox.ac.uk/photo_1998.286.144.1.html>.

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Officials watching Dalai Lama's Ache Lhamo