Call Number:

Ms. Coll. 1619

Repository:

University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts

Extent:

.33 linear feet (1 box)

Language Note:

Some photographs have English captions printed in the negative and some have handwritten German captions on the back of the card mounts.

Preferred Citation:

Collection of Scowen & Co. photographs of Sri Lanka, circa 1880s, Ms. Coll. 1619, Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts, University of Pennsylvania

Date:

circa 1880s (inclusive)

Creator:

Scowen & Co.

Form:

Photographs

Abstract:

Scowen & Co., founded by Charles Thomas Scowen (1852-1948), was a photographic studio located in Kandy, and later Colombo, Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) from the mid 1870s until the mid 1890s. This collection contains 42 albumen prints documenting the people, landscapes, plants, and culture of island of Sri Lanka.

Charles Thomas Scowen was born in England in 1852, arriving in Sri Lanka "as an assistant to R[obert] Edley, a commission agent in 1873" (Getty). In either 1874 or 1876, Scowen established his first photographic studio in Kandy on Trincomalee Street. The studio was especially known for its "flower and plant studies" (Getty), but also "produced records for the tourist market, as well as for commerce and industry" (All About Photo). According to Raheem, Scowen, "had risen to the top rungs of the small but fiercely competitive photographic trade in Kandy … ris[ing] to prominence as one of the best photographers of his generation in Ceyon," (Raheem, page 146). By either 1883 or 1885, a second studio was established in Colombo at 19 Queen's Street and Scowen's Kandy studio was relocated to 21 Ward Street. According to Getty Research collections, in the mid 1890s, Scowen sold his entire negative stock to Columbo Apothecaries and he appears to have worked in the Holten Estate as a manager of a coffee estate until he returned to England, probably around the turn of the century. In 1948, Scowen died in Sudbury, England.

Sri Lanka was a British colony from 1796 to 1948 and important for its resources, including spices (especially cinnamon), coffee, tea, and gems. During the time that Scowen was living in Sri Lanka, "experiments with tea as a plantation crop in the 1880s were immediately successful, and tea spread along the upper and lower slopes of the hill country …[and] increasing export trade led to the expansion of the harbor at Colombo and to railway and road construction" (Britannica).

It is possible that these images were owned by someone from Germany as many contain handwritten German captions on the back of the card mounts.

Sources:

All About Photo. "Charles Scowen." (https://www.all-about-photo.com/photographers/photographer/1363/charles-scowen), accessed 2024 October 30.

Arasaratnam, Sinnappah. "British Ceylon (1796–1900)," Encyclopædia Britannica (https://www.britannica.com/place/Sri-Lanka/British-Ceylon-1796-1900), accessed 2024 October 30.

Getty Research Collections: Views of Sri Lankan archaeological sites by Scowen & Co. and Joseph Lawton, 1870-1893, 97.R.51 (https://www.getty.edu/research/collections/collection/113YNP), accessed 2024 October 30.

Raheem, Ismeth and Percy Colin Thomé. Images of British Ceylon: Nineteenth Century Photograph of Sri Lanka. Singapore : Times Editions, [2000?]

This collection contains 42 albumen prints documenting the people, landscapes, plants, and culture of the island of Sri Lanka, probably during the 1880s, but certainly between 1876 and 1895. All but 5 prints were hand-numbered in ink. Attribution to Scowen are printed in the negative in all but 9 prints; however, the name is printed in three ways: Scowen; Scowen & Co.; and Scowen & Co. Ceylon. Prints containing no attribution are print numbers: 27, 36, 42, 63, 64, 65, and 72 as well as two of the unnumbered prints. The prints are mounted on card mounts.

There are a few types of description on the prints. The photographer's caption is frequently printed in the negative and displays at the bottom of the print in white. When this exists, it is in English and has been listed in quotes in the collection inventory. Many of the prints also have handwritten captions in German on the back of the print. When these exist, they are in German and have been listed in quotes in the collection inventory and are followed by a rough translation contained within square brackets. When no existing description existed, the processor supplied a title that has no punctuation. The folder titles are largely taken from the captions of images and the language should be considered in the context of the time in which the images were created.

Many of the images are from Kandy, including scenic views of Lake Kandy, the city, exterior and interior views of Buddhist temples, as well as people from the city, including a "Kandian Chief," "A Kandian Lady," and a "Kandian Chief and Family." There are also images of cities and views surrounding Colombo and Nuwara Elia. There are a number of images of religious figures, processions, and festivals; indigenous peoples; and cultural artifacts. Additionally, there are images of native plants, including the Talipot palm, Wooly fern tree, and Sabal Palmetto.

The photographs have been arranged by print number.

The photographs have been arranged by print number.