Artist Index: Bourne, Samuel

Group of Bhutanese people, Darjeeling. Circa 1868. Albumen print mounted to board. 23 x 28,8 cm (24,3 x 30,3 cm). Annotated in pencil on lower margin of mount.

This image, originally part of one of six albums compiled during Prince Albert Edward's tour of the Indian subcontinent in 1875-1876, portrays five Bhutanese men and two Bhutanese women engaged in various activities in front of a building's doorway. The women are shown plaiting reeds, demonstrating a traditional craft of Bhutan. King Edward VII acquired a print of this image while he was the Prince of Wales, making the photograph a valuable historical artifact that enhances our understanding of 19th-century diplomatic relations and cultural exchange in the region. – Some slight discoloration along edges of print, otherwise in excellent condition.