Photograph albums of Indochina, 1932-1936

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Summary

Title:

Photograph albums of Indochina

Dates:

1932-1936

Creators:

Aéro Mre. Indochine

Abstract:

Two photograph albums documenting urban and rural aspects of French Indochina, compiled by a French pilot.

Extent:

2 album(s) (498 photographic prints)

Language:

Collection material is in English.

Preferred citation:

Photograph albums of Indochina, 1932-1936, Getty Research Institute, Research Library, Accession no. 2001.R.21

http://hdl.handle.net/10020/cifa2001r21

Background

Scope and content:

These two albums contain photographs of French Indochina (present day Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos), documenting both urban and rural aspects of the region. The albums cover a wide variety of subjects ranging from French institutions and industry in Indochina, civil engineering projects, military posts and forts, and natural landmarks and views of the countryside, to images of the various indigenous groups of Indochina, scenes of daily life and traditional agriculture, temples, tombs, pagodas, and street, market, and river scenes.

The albums were compiled by a French pilot in the service of Aéro Mre. d'Indochine during the 1930s. Aviation-related images include the air force stations at Tong and Bac Maï, a hydroplane flying over Along Bay, and a group of biplanes in flight.

Most of the photographs in Album I, titled on the spine Souvenir d'Indochine 1933, are from the former regions of Tonkin and Annam (now Vietnam). Some images from the Laotian cities of Luang Prabang and Vientiane, as well as portraits of people from various Laotian indigenous groups, are included at the end of the album. Included in the album are two hand-colored prints.

The title for Album II appears on its last page: Souvenir d'un séjour en Indochine 1932-1936. This album begins with a hand-drawn map of French Indochina followed by a hand-colored studio portrait of the French pilot flanked by panels of Chinese good-luck symbols. The album is divided into sections as follows: Tonkin, Cochinchine, Cambodge, Laos, and La Chine. Each section begins with a page containing the name of the region and a hand-colored studio portrait of a person representative of the region. Half of the album is devoted to Tonkin. Images of Cambodia, mostly from Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom, form the second largest section. Included in the album are ten postcards, seven of which bear the credit: Huong Ky Photo Hanoi; two hand-colored prints; and seven hand-colored photographs.

Album I has green half-leather covers. Album II has half-leather and blue silk covers with a dragon painted on the front cover.

Captions on the mounts are in French; many of the aerial photographs also have French captions and the signature Aéro Mre. d'Indochine in the negative. Other photographs are signed G. G. (album II).

Biographical / historical:

The albums were compiled by a French pilot in the service of Aéro Mre. d'Indochine during the 1930s.

Acquisition information:

Acquired in 2001.

Processing information:

Processed and cataloged by Beth Ann Guynn. Translations provided by Shi Chen. Finding aid encoded by Holly Larson with grant funding from the Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR).

Arrangement:

The albums are arranged in two series: Album I: Souvenir d'Indochine, 1933; Album II: Souvenir d'un séjour en Indochine, 1932-1936.

Physical location:

To access physical materials on site, go to the library catalog record for this collection and click "Request an Item." Click here for access policy.

Rules or conventions:

Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Indexed terms

Subjects:: Pagodas -- Indochina
Occupations -- Vietnam
Relief (Sculpture), Ancient
Pagodas -- Vietnam
Sepulchral monuments -- Vietnam
Sepulchral monuments -- Indochina
Tombs -- Indochina
Streets -- Laos
Tombs -- Vietnam
Buddhist temples -- Cambodia -- Angkor (Extinct city)
Streets -- Indochina
Streets -- Vietnam
Indigenous peoples -- Indochina
Architecture -- Vietnam
Indigenous peoples -- Vietnam
Architecture, Colonial -- Vietnam -- French influences
Architecture -- Indochina
Indigenous peoples -- Laos
Occupations -- Indochina
Architecture, Colonial -- Indochina -- French influences
Gelatin silver prints -- Vietnam -- 20th century
Photographic postcards -- Vietnam -- 20th century
Gelatin silver prints -- Indochina -- 20th century
Gelatin silver prints -- Laos -- 20th century
Aerial photographs -- Vietnam -- 20th century
Gelatin silver prints -- Cambodia -- 20th century
Aerial photographs -- Laos -- 20th century
Aerial photographs -- Indochina -- 20th century
Aerial photographs -- Cambodia -- 20th century
Places:: Indochina -- Antiquities
Indochina -- Buildings, structures, etc.
Vietnam -- Buildings, structures, etc.
France -- Colonies -- Asia
Cambodia -- Description and travel -- History -- 20th century
Vietnam -- Social life and customs -- History -- 20th century
Angkor Wat (Angkor)
Laos -- Description and travel -- History -- 20th century
Indochina -- Social life and customs -- History -- 20th century
Vietnam -- Description and travel -- History -- 20th century
Vietnam -- Antiquities
Indochina -- Description and travel -- History -- 20th century

About this collection guide

Collection Guide Author:: Beth Ann Guynn
Date Encoded:: This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2024-06-20 06:57:29 -0700 .

Access and use

Restrictions:: Open for use by qualified researchers.
Terms of access:: Contact Library Rights and Reproductions.