Finding Aid for Views of Southeast Asia, circa 1870-circa 1910

Beth Guynn


Descriptive Summary

Title: Views of Southeast Asia
Date (inclusive): circa 1870-circa 1910
Number: 98.R.2
Physical Description: 38 photographic prints
Repository:
The Getty Research Institute
Special Collections
1200 Getty Center Drive, Suite 1100
Los Angeles 90049-1688
reference@getty.edu
URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10020/askref
(310) 440-7390
Abstract: The collection of photographs contains views of archaeological sites, ruins, temples, stupas, and landscapes, as well as portraits of local and European residents in Southeast Asia.
Request Materials: Request access to the physical materials described in this inventory through the catalog record   for this collection. Click here for the access policy .
Language: Collection material is in English

Biographical/Historical Note

The photographs in this collection were taken in Southeast Asia by various photographers, known and unknown, between 1870 and 1910. Four of the photographs are attributed to or blindstamped by Woodbury & Page. The young Englishmen Walter B. (Bentley) Woodbury (1834-1885) and James Page (1835-1865) met while seeking their fortunes in the Australian gold rush of the 1850s. In 1857, they traveled to Java and opened the Woodbury & Page portrait studio in Weltevreden, Batavia (now Jakarta). Although Page returned to England in 1860, and Woodbury returned in 1864, the firm Woodbury & Page existed in Java until 1901, run first by Woodbury's younger brothers (Henry James and Albert), and later by Adolf Groth. Woodbury's career in photography continued after his return to England. He is best known for inventing the Woodburytype process (photo-relief printing). Three photographs are attributed to Kassian Cephas (1845-1912), the first native Javanese professional photographer. He had a studio in Yogyakarta and was appointed painter and photographer to the court in 1871. He was a member of the Royal Institute for Linguistics and Anthropology (Leiden) and the Archaeological Union of Yogyakarta, which commissioned his photographic campaigns at Prambanam and Borobudur.

Administrative Information

Access

Open for use by qualified researchers.

Publication Rights

Preferred Citation

Views of Southeast Asia, circa 1870-circa 1910, Getty Research Institute, Research Library, Accession no. 98.R.2
http://hdl.handle.net/10020/cifa98r2

Acquisition Information

Acquired in 1998.

Processing History

Processed and cataloged by Beth Ann Guynn; finding aid encoded by Holly Larson with grant funding from the Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR).

Scope and Content of Collection

The collection contains 38 photographs, either albumen or gelatin silver prints, of archaeological sites, ruins, temples, stupas, and landscapes, as well as portraits of local and European residents in Southeast Asia.
Among the views of sites and monuments are the Buddhist ruins of Borobudur, Prambanan, Mendut, and Wringin Lawang in Central and East Java. Five photographs are annotated "Angier Java," but are mostly likely of Angkor Wat in Cambodia. There is one view of the Golden Palace Monastery in Myanmar (formerly Burma), one of a temple at Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya in Thailand, and eight unidentified temples, stupas, and relief sculptures. Photographs of Java include two views of the mountain village of Tosari, one of the Tengger caldera, showing the smoking volcanoes Bromo and Semeru, and views of the aloon-aloon, or city square, and the Mas river in Surabaya. Portraits include a Thai (?) ruler wearing a tall crown and a priest holding a staff topped by a petaled mandala-like ornament.
Some items have brief English annotations written on the mount or verso in an unidentifed nineteenth-century hand. These have been used as titles for the photographs. Consequently, some titles may include language now considered to be racist or biased.

Arrangement

Arranged by cataloger by geographical location or site.

Indexing Terms

Subjects - Topics

Buddhist temples -- Cambodia -- Angkor (Extinct city)
Mendut (Temple : Magelang, Indonesia)
Monuments -- Southeast Asia
Buddhist priests -- Southeast Asia
Sculpture, Javanese
Borobudur (Temple : Magelang, Indonesia)
Mya Nan San Kyaw (Mandalay, Burma)
Sculpture, Khmer -- Cambodia -- Angkor (Extinct city)
Buddhist temples -- Indonesia
Buddhist temples -- Southeast Asia
Volcanoes -- Indonesia

Subjects - Places

Cambodia -- Description and travel
Trowulan (Indonesia) -- Antiquities
Angkor Wat (Angkor)
Southeast Asia -- Antiquities
Southeast Asia -- Buildings, structures, etc.
Prambanan (Indonesia) -- Antiquities
Singapore -- Description and travel
Tengger Mountains (Indonesia) -- Description and travel
Thailand -- Description and travel
Southeast Asia -- Description and travel
Southeast Asia -- Kings and rulers
Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya (Thailand) -- Antiquities
Java (Indonesia) -- Antiquities

Genres and Forms of Material

Gelatin silver prints -- Southeast Asia -- 19th century
Albumen prints -- Southeast Asia -- 19th century

Contributors

Cephas, Kassian, 1845-1912
Woodbury & Page


folder 1

Southeast Asia - views and people

folder 1

98.R.2-1 Woodbury & Page (attributed), Tosari, undated

Scope and Content Note

Title written on verso. Gelatin silver print. Steep mountain road leading to Tosari, Java. For another copy of this print see Special Collections accession number 2002.R.6-40.
folder 1

98.R.2-2 Woodbury & Page (attributed),Tosari, undated

Scope and Content Note

Title written on verso. Steep mountain road with stick railings, Tosari, Java. Gelatin silver print.
folder 1

98.R.2-3 Photographer unidentified, Brono, undated

Scope and Content Note

Title written on verso. Gelatin silver print. View of the Tengger caldera with smoking Bromo volcano, and Semeru volcano in the background.
folder 1

98.R.2-4 Photographer unidentified, Aloon-Aloon Soerabay, undated

Scope and Content Note

Title written on verso. Street vendors on the aloon-aloon (city square), Soerabaya. Gelatin silver print.
folder 1

98.R.2-5 Photographer unidentified, Kali-mas, Soerabai, undated

Scope and Content Note

Title written on verso. Gelatin silver print.
Mas river with sampans, Surabaya, Java.
folder 1

98.R.2-6 Photographer unidentified, [River Village with Sampans], undated

Scope and Content Note

Numbered in negative: 315. Gelatin silver print.
folder 1

98.R.2-7 Woodbury & Page, (attributed),Javanese cart, undated

Scope and Content Note

Title written on verso. Thatched ox cart. Gelatin silver print. For another copy of this print see Special Collections accession number 2002.R.6-8.
folder 1

98.R.2-8r Photographer unidentified, [Group of Men and Boys in front of a Hut], undated

Scope and Content Note

Albumen print.
folder 1

98.R.2-8v Photographer unidentified, [European-style House with People on Porch], undated

Scope and Content Note

Albumen print.
folder 1

98.R.2-9r Photographer unidentified, [Portrait of a Ruler Wearing a Tall Crown], undated

Scope and Content Note

Albumen print.
folder 1

98.R.2-9v.1 Photographer unidentified, [Two Young Girls], undated

folder 1

98.R.2-9v.2 Photographer unidentified, [Young Girl], undated

folder 1

98.R.2-9v.3 Photographer unidentified, [Buddhist Priest Holding a Staff], undated

Scope and Content Note

The staff is topped by a petaled mandala-like ornament.
folder 1

98.R.2-9v.4 Photographer unidentified, [Family Portrait], undated

Scope and Content Note

Albumen print. Group portrait of a mother, father, and daughter.
folder 1

98.R.2-10 Woodbury & Page, Coffee Plantation, undated

Scope and Content Note

Title on verso. The photograph bears the Woodbury & Page blind stamp. Albumen print. Depicts a man on horseback near a wooden bridge on a country path.
folder 2

Angkor Wat

folder 2

98.R.2-11 Photographer unidentified, Portico Angle of the Gallery, Angier Java, undated

Scope and Content Note

Title from typed label on verso. Albumen print.
folder 2

98.R.2-12 Photographer unidentified, [Facade of the Grand Principal Pagoda, Angier, Java], circa 1870s

Scope and Content Note

Title written on verso. Albumen print.
folder 2

98.R.2-13 Photographer unidentified, South Side of the Grand Pagoda, Angier, Java, circa 1870s

Scope and Content Note

Title written on verso. Albumen print.
folder 2

98.R.2-14 Photographer unidentified, South Side of the Grand Principal Pagoda. Angier, Java, undated

Scope and Content Note

Title typed on verso. Typed label on mount: The Gallery, Angier, Java. Numbered on verso: 35. Albumen print.
folder 2

98.R.2-15 Photographer unidentified, The Gallery, Angier, Java, undated

Scope and Content Note

Title typed on mount. Albumen print.
folder 3

Borobudur

folder 3

98.R.2-16r Photographer unidentified, [Tree-lined Street], undated

Scope and Content Note

Albumen print.
folder 3

98.R.2-16v Photographer unidentified, [View of Borobudur], undated

Scope and Content Note

Albumen print.
folder 3

98.R.2-17 Photographer unidentified, [First Gallery, Main Wall Relief Sculpture, Borobudur], undated

Scope and Content Note

Albumen print. 1st register: The dream of Queen Maya, ladies listening to her retell the story and courtiers receiving the Brahman. 2nd register: Women fetching water from a lotus pond; a prince drops a ring into a vessel (Ib 16).
folder 3

98.R.2-18 Photographer unidentified, [Relief Sculpture: Sudhana Visiting a Physician (II 20), , Borobudur], undated

Scope and Content Note

Numbered in negative: 90. Gelatin silver print.
folder 3

98.R.2-19 Photographer unidentified, [Relief Sculpture: First Gallery, North Face, Borobudur], undated

Scope and Content Note

Written on verso: Boer-Bodoer. Gelatin silver. Upper register 1: Sakyamuni Buddha – Bathing of the crown prince. Upper register 2: Sakyamuni Buddha watering a tree. Lower register: King Rudrayana – Ministers sailing to new island and giving alms to inhabitants. Lower register 2: Revering a stupa.
folder 3

98.R.2-20 Cephas, Kassian (attibuted), [First Gallery, North Face, Relief Sculpture #86, Borobudur], undated

Scope and Content Note

In negative: 96. ___gang. __vaswand, N.W. aÿar. Bbudur, mei 1901. Gelatin silver print. Upper register: Sakyamuni Buddha – Bathing of the crown prince. Lower register: King Rudrayana – Ministers sailing to new island and giving alms to inhabitants.
folder 4

Prambanan, Candi Mendut, and Candi Wringin Lawang

folder 4

98.R.2-21 Cephas, Kassian (attributed), [Relief Sculptures, Exterior Niches, and Balustrade, Prambanan], undated

Scope and Content Note

Numbered in negative: 6. Gelatin silver print. For another copy of this print see Special Collections accession number 2002.R.5-34.
folder 4

98.R.2-22 Cephas, Kassian (attributed), Doergâ, Prambaňan, 1895 Apr

Scope and Content Note

Title in negative with: 1 meter. Gelatin silver print. Hindu goddess Durga standing on a bull.
folder 4

98.R.2-23 Photographer unidentified, Mandoet, undated

Scope and Content Note

Title written on verso. Gelatin silver print.
View of Candi Mendut with two European women on the steps.
folder 4

98.R.2-24 Photographer unidentified, Hindoo Temple at Lawang, undated

Scope and Content Note

Title written on verso. Gelatin silver print.
View of Candi Wringin Lawang.
folder 5

Burma, Singapore, Thailand

folder 5

98.R.2-25 Queen's Golden Monastery, undated

Scope and Content Note

Title written on verso. Written on photograph: Queen's Golden Mausoleum. Gelatin silver print.
Shwenandaw Monastery/Golden Palace Monastery, Mandalay, Burma (Myanmar)
folder 5

98.R.2-26 Singapore, 1870s

Scope and Content Note

Title written on verso. Written on mount: Miss Catherine Agnes Beasley Jan 1 1870. Recd 13th March in a letter dated Singapore 1St Feb 1870. Albumen print.
Young woman on horse with attendant.
folder 5

98.R.2-27 Ruins at Ayouth'a, undated

Scope and Content Note

Title written on verso. Gelatin silver print.
Temple with three towers, Phra Nakon Si Ayutthaya, Thailand.
folder 6

Unidentified sites

folder 6

98.R.2-28 Photographer unidentified, [South Chinese-style Nine-storied Stone Pagoda], undated

Scope and Content Note

Numbered on verso: 150. Gelatin silver print.
folder 6

98.R.2-29 Photographer unidentified, [Boy on Stone Pathway in Woods Looking at a Monument], undated

Scope and Content Note

Gelatin silver print.
folder 6

98.R.2-30 Photographer unidentified, [Stone Pathway in Woods with Small Temple to Side], undated

Scope and Content Note

Gelatin silver print.
folder 6

98.R.2-31 Photographer unidentified, [Tiled Chinese-style Rooftops with Pagoda behind Them], undated

Scope and Content Note

Gelatin silver print.
folder 6

98.R.2-32 Photographer unidentified, [Two Boys Pointing at a Temple], undated

Scope and Content Note

Gelatin silver print. Temple has pagoda tower statues and other figures.
folder 6

98.R.2-33 Photographer unidentified, [Group of Tall, Ornate Stupas in a Temple Complex], undated

Scope and Content Note

Numbered in negative: 77. Gelatin silver print, blue-toned.
folder 6

98.R.2-34 Photographer unidentified, [Temple Complex with Statuary], undated

Scope and Content Note

Gelatin silver print.
folder 6

98.R.2-35r Photographer unidentified, [Conical Monument or Stupa with Statute of Buddha inside], undated

Scope and Content Note

Gelatin silver print. Possibly Burma (?)
folder 6

98.R.2-35v Photographer unidentified, [Temple Entrance Flanked by Two Enormous Guardian Figures], undated

Scope and Content Note

Gelatin silver print. Possibly Thailand (?)