Collection of 47 Large Original Gelatin Silver and Albumen Photos of Myanmar, Showing the Pagodas and Royal Palace in Mandalay, Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon, Amarapura, Myanaung, Bhamo, Irrawaddy River, “Khaung Kyaung” Monastery, Burmese Priests (Hponghees), Monks, Musicians and Dancers, Collectors of Palm Tree Sap, Participants of a Religious Ceremony and a Funeral Procession, a Teacher with Children, a Fortune Teller, &c. Ca. 1890s.

Forty-seven original photos, mounted on 38 loose sheets of period card ca. 27,5x36 cm (10 ¾ x 14 ¼ in). Forty-five gelatin silver photos include twenty-six larger ones, from ca. 22x29 cm (8 ½ x 11 ¼ in) to ca. 15x20,5 cm (6x8 in), and nineteen smaller ones, ca. 10x15 cm (4x6 in). With two albumen photos, ca. 21,5x27 cm (8 ¼ x 10 ½ in) and ca. 13x9,5 cm (5 x 3 ¾ in). All photos with period ink captions in French on the mounts, one gelatin silver photo and both albumen photos captioned in negative; two gelatin silver photos numbered in negative. Mounts slightly waved, but overall a very good collection of strong interesting photos.

Attractive collection of 47 early original photos of Burma (Myanmar). The images include over a dozen views of Mandalay, showing Shwenanway (“royal” or “Golden Palace”) monastery, grounds of the Mandalay Palace, mostly destroyed by the allied bombing during WW2 (including a general view of the palace with the moat), “Pathodaugy” (Pahtodawgyi) and “Myathindau” (Hsinbyume) Pagodas, “the Incomparable Pagoda,” “450 pagodas” on the grounds of the Kuthodaw shrine; a “religious school,” and a scene during a religious festival with the “cremation pavilions of hpongees [priests].” Two views of Rangoon (Yangon) depict the grounds of the Shwedagon Pagoda (the platform, monk posing next to the pagoda’s bell). The other photos show Amarapura’s pagodas, the Strand Road in Myanaung (Strand Road), “Khaung Kyaung” Buddhist monastery, the Irrawaddy River with a steamer, a Chinese temple (“Joss House”) in Bhamo, a Burmese village, &c. There are also portraits of Burmese musicians, priests (hpongees) and monks, collectors of “tadi” (palm tree sap for wine preparation), native inhabitants of the Bernardmyo hill station (in the Shan Hills north of Mandalay), dancers, participants of a religious ceremony and a funeral procession, women and children in traditional costumes, “a Chinese from Bhamo,” a teacher with children, and a fortune teller surrounded by people. Overall an interesting extensive collection of well-preserved early photos of Myanmar and its people.