Crowds at Gyantse Gun and Arrow competition

Crowds at Gyantse Gun and Arrow competition

BMH.C.43.1 (Film negative)

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Key Information

Photographer

Arthur Hopkinson

Collection

A. J. Hopkinson

Date of Photo

June 21st 1927

Region

Gyantse > Paper Factory

Accession number

BMH.C.43.1

Image Dimensions

85 x 114

Crowds at the shooting contest. This photograph was taken on the occasion of the annual Gun and Arrow Competition at Gyantse in 1927. The site of the competition was close to the Paper Factory, about ten minutes from the Fort where the Agency staff stayed. Gyantse dzong can be seen in the background. Hopkinson commented in his journal for this day that he was fascinated by the crowd and took many photographs of the people he encountered [see Notes]. Here the crowd can be seen lined against a wall, possibly of the Paper Factory. The Gyantse-region head-dresses worn by the women can be seen in some detail. The men with the staves are officials whose job it is to keep the crowd in line whilst the competition takes place. Some of the competitors can be seen at the far end of the crowd holding their longbows

Further Information

Photographic Process

Negative film nitrate

Expedition

A. J. Hopkinson's Tour of Duty as British Trade Agent, Gyantse, 1927-28

Other Information

In Negative - 'C-43' has been written down the left side of the negative in black or blue-black ink [MS 03/07/2006]

Notes on print/mount - Two contact prints made from this negative are contained in A. J. Hopkinson's negative case with the negative. The first print bears the caption "Annual dismounted arrow-shooting contest - The men with sticks are 'stewards' or Police', and two reference numbers 'C43' and 'H6'. The second print has the caption 'Arrow shooting comp[etition] at Gyantse' as well as the name 'A. J. Hopkinson' and two reference numbers 'C.43' and 'H6'. The further reference '298' has been crossed through and deleted [MS 03/07/2006]

Manual Catalogues -


Manual Catalogues - [Caption in A. J. Hopkinson's negative album 'Tibet C']: '[Paper Factory Arrow Shooting] Competitors' [MS 28/04/2006]

Other Information - Description: [Extract from taped interview, Richard Blurton and Mrs Hopkinson] 'Competitors. After each shot the bowstring breaks and must be replaced' [MS 03/07/2006]

Other Information - Dates


Other Information - Dates: For dating of image and further description, see A. J. Hopkinson Archive, OIOC British Library, Mss Eur D998/54, Journal Letters from Gyantse and Various Camps, 1927-28, commencing June 26th 1927, Gyantse, pages 1-3 [MS 01/07/2006]

Other Information - Setting


Other Information - Setting: Comment in Hopkinson's journal for this day: “The crowd at the Arrow Shooting was awfully interesting and I took heaps of photos” [ibid., p.3] [MS 03/07/2006]

For Citation use:
The Tibet Album. "Crowds at Gyantse Gun and Arrow competition" 05 Dec. 2006. The British Museum. <http://tibet.prm.ox.ac.uk/photo_BMH.C.43.1.html>.

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