Samuel Bourne
Mussucks for Crossing the Beas Below Bajouraabout 1866Samuel Bourne made three expeditions through the Himalayas at remarkably high altitudes. He embarked on the third of those in July 1866, aiming to eventually photograph the source of the River Ganges. Near the beginning of the journey his party had to cross the River Beas. This was done by floating on "mussucks", or inflated buffalo skins.
- Accession no. PGP R 879
- Medium Albumen prints
- Size 23.20 x 28.70 cm
- Credit Gift of Mrs. Riddell in memory of Peter Fletcher Riddell 1985
Samuel Bourne (English, 1834 - 1912)
Samuel Bourne was a Nottingham bank clerk with a passion for photography. In 1862 he left England for India and remained there for seven years, travelling extensively in the western Himalayas. Bourne often required forty servants to carry his bulky and fragile equipment. Given the challenges of working at high altitude, his photographs are a major technical achievement. As his correspondence reveals, he saw India through the eyes of a colonial occupier. He was on the look out for perfect views of the country, and intriguing images of its people.