Key Information

Photographer

Arthur Hopkinson

Collection

A. J. Hopkinson

Date of Photo

1926 - 1927

Region

Chumbi Valley Region > Natu La

Accession number

BMH.E.34.1

Image Dimensions

85 x 109

A group of porters and other assistants to the British Trade Agency in Tibet take lunch after attempting to create a car route in the snow along the Natu La for two Dodge cars (out of view; see BMH.E.31-32). Colonel F. M. Bailey, the Political Officer of Sikkim, Bhutan and Tibet, wanted to introduce cars to the region to speed up communications between Gangtok and Gyantse. The project was bedevilled with problems and over the course of the year 1926-27 proved to be unfeasible, the cars being withdrawn late in 1927

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 - The negative has been cut very crudely down the left side [MS 31/07/2006]

Manual Catalogues -

Manual Catalogues - [Caption in A. J. Hopkinson's negative album 'Tibet E']: 'Coolies with cars on Nathu' [MS 04/05/2006]

Other Information - Description: [Extract from taped interview, Richard Blurton and Mrs Hopkinson] '31, 32, 33, 34 and 35 - coolies in the snow, taking the cars over the Natu La. Two show the coolies having lunch, while two others show a long line of coolies tramping out a route' [MS 29/07/2006]

For Citation use:
The Tibet Album. "Having lunch in Natu La" 05 Dec. 2006. The British Museum. <http://tibet.prm.ox.ac.uk/photo_BMH.E.34.1.html>.

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