Views of Southeast Asia, 1870-1895, undated

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Summary

Creators:
Woodbury & Page
Abstract:
The collection of 38 photographs contains views of archaeological sites, ruins, temples, stupas, and landscapes, as well as portraits of local and European residents in Southeast Asia. Known photographers represented in the collection include Woodbury & Page and Cassian Cephas.
Extent:
38 photographic prints
Language:
Collection material is in English.
Preferred citation:

Views of Southeast Asia, 1870-1895, undated, Getty Research Institute, Research Library, Accession no. 98.R.2

http://hdl.handle.net/10020/cifa98r2

Background

Scope and content:

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 most 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. When present these annotations have been used as titles for the photographs. Consequently, some titles may include language now considered to be racist or biased.

Biographical / historical:

Four of the photographs are attributed to or blind stamped 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.

The remainder of the photographs are by unidentified makers.

Acquisition information:
Acquired in 1998.
Processing information:

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).

Arrangement:

Arranged in a single series: Series I. Views of Southeast Asia, 1870-1895, undated.

Physical location:
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Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Access and use

Restrictions:

Open for use by qualified researchers.

Terms of access:

Contact Library Reproductions and Permissions.

Preferred citation:

Views of Southeast Asia, 1870-1895, undated, Getty Research Institute, Research Library, Accession no. 98.R.2

http://hdl.handle.net/10020/cifa98r2

Location of this collection:
1200 Getty Center Drive, Suite 1100
Los Angeles, CA 90049-1688, US
Contact:
(310) 440-7390
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