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Lot Essay
BEATO, Felice (1832 – 1909). Delhi & Amritsur. Printed in London ca. 1860.
Founding album of photojournalism, coming from the collection of Major Charles Burrard Reboul. This copy gathers two series of photographs taken in India by Felice Beato. The first series depicts Delhi in 1858, just after the Indian Rebellion and the British army taking control of the city. The second series dedicated to Amritsar is less dramatic. It shows a touristic insight of the Sikh city. In both series, the panoramas highlight the magnificence of the monuments.
Major Charles Burrard Reboul was a French officer. It is unsure if he took part in the Indian Rebellion, but his English was already very good when he joined the British army in China a few years later, indicating he already had a first experience with the British forces. Officer Hope Grant describes him in his journal during the Second Opium War as a: “very agreeable gentlemanlike officer, and spoke English like an Englishman”. During this expedition, Reboul purchased several Asian artworks, showing his taste for Asian arts.
These prints were offered in 1860 by Henry Hering, after the Second Opium War, where the links between Charles Burrard Reboul and the British army are confirmed. The military title “Major” used in the superlibris suggests that this album was offered to Charles Burrard Reboul by a British officer – Reboul would probably have used the French equivalent “commandant”. Hope Grant was portrayed two times by Felice Beato in 1858 in India, and in 1860 in China. We may imagine he would be the one who commissioned this album to the photograph and would have given it to the Major. Reboul took part in the important councils of war with Grant, and their collaboration seems to have been close and frequent.
Folio (375 x 450 mm). Album of 66 individual albumen prints (approx. 25 x 30 cm per photography), and 7 panoramas, all numbered in the negatives, with publisher’s English captions and a handwritten French translation. In total, 50 photographs of Delhi (numbered from D1 to D58) and 16 photographs of Amritsar (from U1 to U16). The 7 panoramas are as follows :
D – Panorama of Delhi from Jamna Musjid (23,8 x 246,2 cm)
D – Panorama of Delhi from Hindo Rao house (24,8 x 91 cm)
D20 – D21 – Main breach and door of the Kashmir bastion (25 x 60,5 cm)
D24 – D25 –Morec bastion (25,2 x 62 cm)
D34 – D35 – Jumna Masjid (29,5 x 51 cm)
D45 – D46 – The Kootub (25,5 x 590 cm)
U – Panorama of Amritsur, insight of the holy reservoir and the Sikh temple (24 x 88,2 cm)
Half black morocco, gilt, gilt title on leather label on the upper cover with separate label identifying owner as Major Reboul C. B. (somewhat rubbed and with minor stains to covers not adversely affecting interior, cracks on the hinges, minor foxing, some of the prints are partly detached from the leaves, the upper corner of the U9 print is torn, slight tear on the D33 print).
Provenance : Charles Burrard Reboul (1825 – 1886) (super libris)
Founding album of photojournalism, coming from the collection of Major Charles Burrard Reboul. This copy gathers two series of photographs taken in India by Felice Beato. The first series depicts Delhi in 1858, just after the Indian Rebellion and the British army taking control of the city. The second series dedicated to Amritsar is less dramatic. It shows a touristic insight of the Sikh city. In both series, the panoramas highlight the magnificence of the monuments.
Major Charles Burrard Reboul was a French officer. It is unsure if he took part in the Indian Rebellion, but his English was already very good when he joined the British army in China a few years later, indicating he already had a first experience with the British forces. Officer Hope Grant describes him in his journal during the Second Opium War as a: “very agreeable gentlemanlike officer, and spoke English like an Englishman”. During this expedition, Reboul purchased several Asian artworks, showing his taste for Asian arts.
These prints were offered in 1860 by Henry Hering, after the Second Opium War, where the links between Charles Burrard Reboul and the British army are confirmed. The military title “Major” used in the superlibris suggests that this album was offered to Charles Burrard Reboul by a British officer – Reboul would probably have used the French equivalent “commandant”. Hope Grant was portrayed two times by Felice Beato in 1858 in India, and in 1860 in China. We may imagine he would be the one who commissioned this album to the photograph and would have given it to the Major. Reboul took part in the important councils of war with Grant, and their collaboration seems to have been close and frequent.
Folio (375 x 450 mm). Album of 66 individual albumen prints (approx. 25 x 30 cm per photography), and 7 panoramas, all numbered in the negatives, with publisher’s English captions and a handwritten French translation. In total, 50 photographs of Delhi (numbered from D1 to D58) and 16 photographs of Amritsar (from U1 to U16). The 7 panoramas are as follows :
D – Panorama of Delhi from Jamna Musjid (23,8 x 246,2 cm)
D – Panorama of Delhi from Hindo Rao house (24,8 x 91 cm)
D20 – D21 – Main breach and door of the Kashmir bastion (25 x 60,5 cm)
D24 – D25 –Morec bastion (25,2 x 62 cm)
D34 – D35 – Jumna Masjid (29,5 x 51 cm)
D45 – D46 – The Kootub (25,5 x 590 cm)
U – Panorama of Amritsur, insight of the holy reservoir and the Sikh temple (24 x 88,2 cm)
Half black morocco, gilt, gilt title on leather label on the upper cover with separate label identifying owner as Major Reboul C. B. (somewhat rubbed and with minor stains to covers not adversely affecting interior, cracks on the hinges, minor foxing, some of the prints are partly detached from the leaves, the upper corner of the U9 print is torn, slight tear on the D33 print).
Provenance : Charles Burrard Reboul (1825 – 1886) (super libris)