[Newson, Clement Charles] (1882-1942). Album with 108 Original Gelatin Silver Photographs, Including Over Sixty Images Taken in British North Borneo and Sarawak Raj and Showing Sandakan and Environs, Mount Kinabalu, Sekong Rubber Estate, Portraits of Dayak, Kenyah, Kedayan and Dusun People, “Dyak Head Hunting Feast,” “Dyak Long House & Skulls,” &c.; With Over Forty Views of Shanghai, Newson’s Residence, Portraits of Him and His Daughter, &c. Ca. 1908-1912.

Oblong Octavo album ca. 15x20 cm (6 ¼ x 9 in). 25 card stock leaves put together in an accordion-like manner. With 108 mounted gelatin silver photos of various size, from ca. 11x15 cm (ca. 4 ¼ x 6 in) to 5,5x5,5 cm (2 ¼ x 2 ¼ in). Most photos with period black ink captions in English on the mounts (some relate to several photos, some are also dated). Period style black morocco boards. A few photos mildly faded or with mild silvering, several with minor tears or losses on the corners, but overall a very good album of interesting rare photos.

Historically significant collection of original amateur photos of Sandakan and its environs – then the capital of British Northern Borneo (the Protectorate of the United Kingdom in 1888-1946, now the Sabah state of Malaysia), and rare portraits of indigenous people from the upper Rajang River in the Sarawak Raj (now the Sarawak state of Malaysia). The album belonged to Clement Charles Newson, a young associate of “Darby & Co.” - an influential business enterprise in British Northern Borneo. Founded by Walter George Darby (1865-1938), a member of the family of successful British traders and businessmen in Malaysia, “Darby & Co.” operated in 1892-1918, with interests in timber trade, coastal steamship transportation, plantations, &c. (Obituaries: Mr. W.G. Darby// Pinang Gazette and Straits Chronicle, 21 February 1938, p. 10; see more). Clement Newson was listed as “Darby & Co’s” “assistant” in 1908 and 1910 (The Directory & Chronicle for China, Japan, Corea, Indo-China, Straits Settlements, Malay States… for the year 1908. The Hongkong Daily Press Ofiice, 1908, p. 1586; The Directory & Chronicle for China, Japan, Corea, Indo-China, Straits Settlements, Malay States… for the year 1910. The Hongkong Daily Press Ofiice, 1910, p. 1687).

Most photos in the album (over sixty) illustrate Newson’s life in Borneo between 1908 and 1910. Fifteen larger images are excellent group portraits of the Dayak, Kenyah, Kedayan and Dusun indigenous people or views taken in the interior of Borneo. Captions to several photos indicate that they were made in December 1908, during trips to the upper Rajang River and “Baram District” of the “Sarawak Territory.” The portraits include those of “Catholic missionaries and Dyak boys,” “Kenya tribe,” “Council of natives – Kedyan tribe,” “Dyak head hunting feast” (featuring the “famous chief of the Rejang” and a warrior who “has cut the head”), “A group of Christian Dusuns,” “Group of Dogas – Hill Dusuns,” “Native market in interior Borneo,” “A Dyak Beauty,” &c. Other interesting images show Sandakan and its environs (“Govt. house & gold course,” “timber roadway to Merguan estate,” “crocodile shot in Sandakan Bay, 1909,” Newson’s residence in the “Straun House”), Mount Kinabalu, operations at the Sekong rubber estate, portraits of Newson’s daughter, Phyllis Irene Newson (1909-1989), taken shortly after her birth in Sandakan, &c.

A large group portrait of British female residents of Sandakan, their children and nannies features “Mrs. Bridger, Mrs. Penney, Mrs. Altman, Miss Macpherson” – evidently, family members of local officials or businessmen. According to “The Directory & Chronicle for China, Japan, Corea, Indo-China, Straits Settlements, Malay States… for the year 1908” (The Hongkong Daily Press Ofiice, 1908), W.G. Bridger was an “engineer-in-charge, patent slipway, China Borneo Co., B.N. Borneo” (p. 1459), G.J. Altman was the “general manager of the North Borneo Trading Co.” in Sandakan (p. 1435) and W.H. Penney was district magistrate and acting postmaster general of British North Borneo (p. 1595; see more).

Fourty-three photos relate to Newson’s life in Shanghai in ca. 1911-1912. Interesting images show the exterior and interior of his residence on Avenue Paul Brunat (now Huaihai Rd.), a pagoda and temple in “Ching Ling” (possibly the ancient town site of Quinglong), stone statues in “Pootung” (likely, the Pudong district), street signs of local businesses (“Fok-Kui dairy, 1401 Avenue Road” and “Heng. Feng. Yung. All kinds of Peking and Tientsin carpets”), “Chinese war junk Ningpo” and portraits of Newson and his daughter Phyllis Irene.

Overall a rare collection of early original photos of the indigenous people of the interior Borneo, as well as of Sandakan and other locations in British North Borneo.

A list of captions:
[Borneo]: Sandakan, August 1908, B.N. Borneo, Aileen; “Jack,” “Flo,” Ah Chin in garden of “Straun House,” Sandakan, 1908; Boy, Annah, Cook, Coolie; “Jack;” “Grey Friar,” Sandakan, Sept. 08; Catholic Missionaries & Dyak Boys, taken at Rejang – 90 miles up river, Sarawak Territory (Dec. 08); Dyak long house & skulls, Rejang (Dec. 08); “Grey Friar,” “Wee Wee, C.C.N.;” “Straun House – Sandakan;” “Grey Friar;” Kenya tribe, Baram district, about 200 miles up river (Dec. 08); Council of natives – Kedyan tribe. Man in white coat is the chief. Sarawak Baram District, 150 miles (south), (Dec. 08); Dyak head hunting feast. Woman with open mouth having newly cut head between fingers. Man with fez – famous chief of the Rejang. Name – Mu-nan. Man (left) in white hairy war coat has cut the head. Taken up the Rejang river 100 miles. Sarawak (Dec. 08); Rapids – Baram district. Sarawak, 250 miles up river (Dec. 08); Sandakan, 22/2/09: “Grey Friar” (2 images), “Straun House” (2 images), View from seat; Sandakan from “Straun House;” S.S. “Mausang” & coal wharf, Sandakan from Straun House; Back of Straun House; Phyllis Irene, 2 days old, Sandakan, 1st July 1909; Mrs. Bridger, Mrs. Penney, Mrs. Altman, Miss Macpherson, Sandakan; [Bokhara?] village near Sandakan, B.N. Borneo, 22/8/09; Crocodile shot in Sandakan Bay, 1909, length 18’6”; Phyllis, Sandakan, 8/10/09; Recreation Club House, Sandakan; Ice works, Sandakan; Govt. House & Golf Course, Sandakan; Timber roadway to Merguan Estate; Native market place; Mount Kinabalu; Timber roadway over mangrove swamp; A Dyak study; Dyak head hunting dance; Young tobacco & drying sheds at Batu Putek; Women weeders at Sekong estate, 1910; A group of Christian Dusuns, Putatan near Jessselton; Group of Dogas – Hill Dusuns; Native market in interior of Borneo; Gathering the latex, Sekong Rubber Estate near Sandakan, Borneo; A group of hill Dusuns; Dyaks; A Dyak beauty.

[Shanghai]: (Shangai, June 1911); Avenue Paul Brunat, Shanghai, 1911; Dining room, Avenue Paul Brunat, Shanghai; Dining room; Drawing room, A.P. Brunat, S’hai; Drawing room; Shanghai, 1911; Ching Ling Pagoda; Joss at Nansiang; In Chin Ling Pagoda; Ching Ling Temple; In a Temple on Bubbling Well Rd., Shanghai; Ching Ling; Shanghai, 27/4/12; Pootung, 20/6/12; Chinese war junk “Ningpo.”