Key Information

Photographer

Unknown

Collection

Frederick Spencer Chapman

Date of Photo

November 22nd 1936

Named Person

Sidney Dagg, Frederick Spencer Chapman, Evan Nepean, Norbhu Dhondup, Hugh Richardson, Sir Basil Gould, Dr Morgan

Region

Lhasa > Dekyi Lingka

Accession number

1998.131.378

Image Dimensions

114 x 158

Members of the 1936 British Mission to Lhasa. From left to right, top row: Dagg, Chapman, Nepean, Norbhu (interpreter); bottom row: Richardson, Gould, Morgan. The group are in formal dress in preparation for their second official visit to the Potala, which was to take place later that morning

Further Information

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

C.18.1 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.2.378

This Image also appears in another collection

BMR.86.1.28.1

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 - 'C18/1' has been written on the back of the print in pencil, as has 'F. S. Chapman'. The number 1 has been written in the top right hand corner on the back in a circle [MS 22/03/2006]

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]: 'Officers without hats'; PRM Manuscripts Collection: ‘List of Tibetan Prints and Negatives’ - Book 3: ‘21/3 - The Lhasa Mission (L. to R.) back - Lieut. Dagg F. Spencer Chapman (private secretary) Lieut. Nepean Hugh Richardson (BTA Gyantse) BJ Gould (now Sir Basil, Political Officer Sikkim), Capt. Morgan (doctor) Norbhu Dzatsa (interpreter) [MS 22/03/2006]

Exhibition - This image appeared in the 2003 Temporary Exhibition at the Pitt Rivers "Seeing Lhasa: British Depictions of the Tibetan Capital 1936-1947"

Research publication - Clare Harris and Tsering Shakya (eds.) 'Seeing Lhasa: British Depictions of the Tibetan Capital 1936-1947', Chicago: Serindia Publications, 2003, p. 19

Other Information - Description: Members of the British Mission to Lhasa (1936-1937). From left to right. Back row standing: Dagg, Spencer Chapman, Nepean, Norbhu. Front row seated: Richardson, Gould, Morgan. Dagg was a wireless operator, Spencer Chapman: the personal secretary to Gould, Nepean: another wireless operator, Norbhu: interpreter and diplomatic aide to the Mission, Richardson: British Trade Agent at Gyantse, Gould: Political Officer for Sikkim, Bhutan and Tibet and in charge of this Mission to Lhasa, Morgan: Mission doctor. In such official-style portraits the military men in the team wore full dress uniform whilst the civil servants wore morning dress. The only non-British member of the Mission, Norbhu Dhondup, wore Tibetan dress suiting rank as a Dzasa. [CH 2003]

Other Information - Related Images

Other Information - Related Images: Images prefixed with 'C.18' comprise a group of negatives containing images of the mission personnel, the Dalai Lamas’ tombs and the Potala. They seem all to have been taken on November 22nd 1936. Prior to the visit, Chapman and other mission members took photographs of all the Mission staff, apparently taking advantage of the fact they were donned in formal attire in preparation for their official visit to the Potala [MS 18/03/2006]

For Citation use:
The Tibet Album. "Mission personnel preparing to go to Potala" 05 Dec. 2006. The Pitt Rivers Museum. <http://tibet.prm.ox.ac.uk/photo_1998.131.378.html>.

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