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William Louis Henry Skeen (1847-1903)

General view of Colombo looking south 1881-82

Albumen print | 19.0 x 27.6 cm (image) | RCIN 2581285

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  • Photograph of sailing ships in harbour of Colombo, Sri Lanka, buildings on far shore; forest of palm trees in foreground; clock tower visible, centre left.

    This is a photograph from one of the nine albums compiled following Prince Albert Victor (1864-92) and Prince George of Wales' (1865-1936) world tour aboard HMS Bacchante from 1879 to 1882. The photographs were collected by their chaperon and tutor, John Neale Dalton.

    The majority of the images in these albums are topographical views and architectural studies, loosely arranged according to the group’s itinerary. They include photographs of artefacts, local people and public figures, as well as portraits of the princes taken during the tour. The attempt to recreate the experience of a journey through such an assortment of images is common to many amateur travelling albums of this period. In 1886, some of the photographs in the albums were reproduced as engravings in the published accounts of the voyage, The Cruise of Her Majesty's Ship Bacchante, 1879-1882.

    Provenance

    Album compiled by the Reverend J N Dalton (1839-1931) and presented to King George V

  • Medium and techniques

    Albumen print

    Measurements

    19.0 x 27.6 cm (image)

  • Category
    Object type(s)
  • Alternative title(s)

    General view of Colombo looking south. [The Cruise of H.M.S. Bacchante 1879-1882, Volume VII, Singapore, Ceylon].