Key Information

Photographer

Evan Yorke Nepean

Collection

Evan Yorke Nepean

Date of Photo

November 23rd 1936

Named Person

Frederick Spencer Chapman

Region

Lhasa Area >

Accession number

2001.35.176.1

Image Dimensions

94 x 61 mm

Frederick Spencer Chapman, in the centre of the image, takes a photograph of an official at the ceremony to mark the return of the Reting Rinpoche to Lhasa. A Sikkimese orderly holds his camera case while a crowd of monks and other onlookers gather

Further Information

Photographic Process

Negative

Date Acquired

Loaned August 2002

Donated by

Judy Goldthorp

Expedition

British Diplomatic Mission to Lhasa 1936-37

Photo also owned by

Lady Nepean

This Image also appears in another collection

2001.35.396.33.6

Other Information - Related Images

Other Information - Related Images: Caption for this image in Nepean's album (see Same Image As) - 'F. Chapman photos the Regent's arrival'. [MS 30/07/2006]

Other Information - Setting

Other Information - Setting: See 'Lhasa Mission 1936 - Diary of Events - Part IV p.2-4; Part IX p.3-4.'

Research publication - Clare Harris and Tsering Shakya (eds.) 2003 'Seeing Lhasa: British Depictions of the Tibetan Capital 1936-1947' (Serindia Publications, Chicago). Page 135. [KC 30/07/2006]

Other Information - Cultural Background

Other Information - Cultural Background: Spencer Chapman spent much of his time in Lhasa recording ceremonial events and processions such as this one when Reting Rinpoche, the Regent of Tibet returned to Lhasa from a tax collecting trip. Spencer Chapman noted that “Gould … and Norbhu took their places in the procession while Nepean and I accompanied them to take photographs. We took several clerks and half-a-dozen scarlet-coated retainers to compete with the Chinese who would also be there. In the eyes of the Tibetans these things are of considerable importance: an official has many servants and wears as sumptuous clothes as his rank and means will allow”. (1938:217) Clearly the presence of British photographers setting up their cameras and tripods drew quite a crowd of Tibetan onlookers. [CH 2003]

For Citation use:
The Tibet Album. "F. Spencer Chapman taking photographs, Regent's return" 05 Dec. 2006. The Pitt Rivers Museum. <http://tibet.prm.ox.ac.uk/photo_2001.35.176.1.html>.

For more information about photographic usage or to order prints, please visit the The Pitt Rivers Museum.