Key Information

Photographer

Frederick Spencer Chapman

Collection

Evan Yorke Nepean

Date of Photo

December 10th 1936

Named Person

Evan Nepean

Region

Lhasa > Dekyi Lingka

Accession number

2001.35.268.1

Image Dimensions

104 x 70 mm

Portrait of Nepean, a member of the British Mission, in army uniform. Head and shoulders with eyes closed.

Further Information

Photographic Process

Print silver

Date Acquired

Loaned August 2002

Donated by

Judy Goldthorp

Expedition

British Diplomatic Mission to Lhasa 1936-37

Photo also owned by

Lady Nepean

Previous Catologue Number

BH.11 [view film roll]

This Image also appears in another collection

1998.131.445 2001.35.381.1

Other Information

Notes on print/mount - 'Lieut E.Y. Nepean; ink no: 18; pencil no: BH/11'. [KC 05/08/2006]

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]: 'Nepean v. [ticked by FSC]' [MS 14/08/2006]

Research publication - Clare Harris and Tsering Shakya (eds.), 'Seeing Lhasa: British Depictions of the Tibetan Capital 1936-1947', Chicago: Serindia Publications, 2003, p.152.

Biographical Information - Evan Nepean (1909-2002) was a member of the Royal Corps of Signals and was posted to Lhasa in 1936 to work for Gould. Along with Dagg his job was to set up and operate the portable wireless which the British took with them. This had a great impact in curbing the power of the Chinese Mission as it provided another route through which information could be sent into and out of Lhasa. As well as this Nepean and Dagg were in charge of entertainment setting up PA systems and film shows for the various Tibetans with whom the British interacted. He was also an amateur photographer often accompanying and assisting Spencer Chapman on his photographic excursions. Nepean compiled a personal album of photographs from his time in Lhasa. He was only in the city for three months before being re-posted. [CH 2003]

Other Information - Related Images

Other Information - Related Images: Images prefixed with 'BH.' comprise a group of negatives containing images of Officials, a Khampa man, Sir Basil Gould and various personnel on the Mission in 1936-7. They all seem to have been taken on or just prior to December 10th 1936. On the occasion of this photograph it seems that the Mission staff were all having their portraits taken in formal dress prior to an official visit to Kundeling Monastery to see the 'Disease Chasing Ceremony'. [MS 16/03/2006]

For Citation use:
The Tibet Album. "Evan Yorke Nepean" 05 Dec. 2006. The Pitt Rivers Museum. <http://tibet.prm.ox.ac.uk/photo_2001.35.268.1.html>.

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