No scan for this photo
2001.59.5.49.2 (Contact Print)
2001.59.5.49.2 (Contact Print)
Hugh E. Richardson
Hugh Richardson
July 25th 1948
Lhasa >
2001.59.5.49.2
60 X 60 mm
Ritual Activity
Print silver
Donated August 2001
The executors of the estate of Hugh E. Richardson
Hugh E. Richardson
Notes on print - 'Monlam Dharma Torgyab 1949/50' (in pencil) is written in Richardson's hand on the reverse of print and '430' and 'Velox' in an oval are stamped in black. [KC 7/9/2006]
Manual Catalogues - Richardson's Handlist - 'Vol. 5' 'Nos 48-54. Gtor rgyag chen-po. A special gtor rgyag on 25th July 1948 directed against the threat from Chinese Communists. Prayer ceremony near old Chinese Yamen on east south of city. Large body of monks chanting and clapping hands slowly; a special gtor ma lit by the Gnas chung Oracle, contained many strange things including a human skin. At the end of the ceremony a great storm of wind, dust and thunder suddenly blew up from a clear sky.' [KC 14/8/2006]
Other Information - Dates: According to the Handlist that Richardson compiled of his images some years after he left Lhasa, and according to the notes on his negative index, this image was taken in 1948. However, The two images in this related group of contact prints are dated both to 1949 and 1949/50, even though are clearly taken on the same occasion/day some minutes apart. Other images of this event apparently identified as having been taken in 1950 are printed out on Ridax paper, suggesting that these may have been taken in a different year - but the precise dating remains inconclusive and demonstrates some of the difficulties of memory that even someone as meticulous in his attention to detail as Hugh Richardson could be [MS 19/12/2005]
For Citation use:
The Tibet Album.
"Crowds at the Torgyag chenpo in Lhasa"
05 Dec. 2006. The Pitt Rivers Museum.
<http://tibet.prm.ox.ac.uk/photo_2001.59.5.49.2.html>.
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