Nepean and Morgan at Dekyi Lingka

Nepean and Morgan at Dekyi Lingka

1998.131.376 (Film negative)

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Key Information

Photographer

Frederick Spencer Chapman

Collection

Frederick Spencer Chapman

Date of Photo

November 27th 1936?

Named Person

Dr Morgan, Evan Nepean

Region

Lhasa > Dekyi Lingka

Accession number

1998.131.376

Image Dimensions

114 x 85

Part of the Dekyi Lingka, the British Mission house. Two members of the British Mission on balcony, Evan Nepean on the left, who was the wireless operator, and Capt. Morgan on the right, the Mission doctor. A British flag can be seen on the roof. This image forms the left side of a panorama, the right side being seen in 1998.131.377

Further Information

Photographic Process

Negative film nitrate

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.15.7 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.2.376

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

In Negative - '7' has been scratched into the negative in the bottom right hand corner [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]: 'Pan [Panorama] left part of our house [Dekyi Lingka]' [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. 82

Other Information - Related Images


Other Information - Related Images: This image forms the left side of a panorama, the right side being seen in 1998.131.377 [MS 22/03/2006]

Other Information - Related Images


Other Information - Related Images: Images prefixed with 'C.15.' seem to have been taken over a relatively long period from November 26th to January 7th. This may have been because Chapman was running out of quarter plate film at this point because the only other images he took using this film type appear to have been of the interior of the Norbhu Lingka, the Potala and ceremonies at the Jokhang. However, on December 20th he comments that "something is wrong with the 1/4 plate camera" [1938: 294], which may have influenced his use of it. Images with prefix 'C.15' comprise a group of negatives containing images of threshing barley, Regent’s house, ferry near Dekyi Lingka and panoramic views of environs, mummers, Norbu Lingka, paper chase, tea at football match, Everest permit, Khampa people. This collection of images is headed with the title of ‘Rural Pursuits’ and it seems that Chapman may originally have intended to use this box of negatives whilst seeking out scenes such as threshing barley. However, this objective seems to have passed as the negatives were used, as a wider variety of images than this title suggests were taken. This may also reflect the limitations of access to such scenes in and around the mission compound in the Dekyi Lingka and the constraints upon the photographic agenda of the mission [MS 13/03/2006]

Other Information - Description: The Dekyi Lingka (“garden of happiness”), home to the British in Lhasa for several decades, with Union Jack flying and 1936 Mission members Nepean and Morgan on the balcony. Spencer Chapman recorded the living arrangements: “We found the actual house somewhat small for our requirements. Gould and Neame occupied two minute rooms upstairs; the doctor took possession of an even smaller ground-floor room opening off the tiny kitchen courtyard, while Richardson and I put up our tents in the walled garden. There was one rather gloomy downstairs room which we used as a dining-room, and a more cheerful one above with a verandah that we roofed in with canvas and used for receptions. Neame’s bedroom afterwards became Gould’s office, while the five Sikkimese clerks had a large office a hundred yards from our house. The kitchens and stables were part of the main building. Norbhu found quarters just outside our main doorway between the kitchen and the stables”. ['Lhasa: The Holy City', F. Spencer Chapman, London: Chatto & Windus, 1938, pp 229-230] [CH 2003]

For Citation use:
The Tibet Album. "Nepean and Morgan at Dekyi Lingka" 05 Dec. 2006. The Pitt Rivers Museum. <http://tibet.prm.ox.ac.uk/photo_1998.131.376.html>.

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