The People of India: A Series of Photographic Illustrations, with Descriptive Letterpress, of the Races and Tribes of Hindustan
odd: label: Local Numbers
content: FSA A1990.03
name: label: Publisher
content: Watson, J. Forbes (John Forbes), 1827-1892.
label: Publisher
content: Kaye, John William, Sir, 1814-1876
place: label: Place
content: India
label: Place
content: Afghanistan
label: Place
content: Burma
label: Place
content: Pakistan
label: Place
content: Iran
label: Place
content: Assam (India)
label: Place
content: Cachar (India)
label: Place
content: Chittagong (Bangladesh)
label: Place
content: Delhi (India)
label: Place
content: Hazara District (Pakistan)
label: Place
content: Hisar (India)
label: Place
content: Kohat District (Pakistan)
label: Place
content: Lahore (India)
label: Place
content: Madras (India)
label: Place
content: Mysore (India)
label: Place
content: Palamu (India)
label: Place
content: Shahabad (India : District)
label: Place
content: Shahjahanpur (India)
label: Place
content: Sikkim (India)
label: Place
content: Sind (India)
acqinfo: label: Provenance
content: Purchase 1990 A1990.3
creator: label: Publisher
content: Watson, J. Forbes (John Forbes), 1827-1892.
label: Publisher
content: Kaye, John William, Sir, 1814-1876
culture: label: Culture
content: Bhotia (Sherpa)
label: Culture
content: Dom (South Asian people)
label: Culture
content: Gond (Indic people)
label: Culture
content: Gujaratis (Indic people)
label: Culture
content: Kachari (Indic people)
label: Culture
content: Kota (Indic people)
label: Culture
content: Lepcha
label: Culture
content: Mishmi (Indic people)
label: Culture
content: Munda (Indic people)
label: Culture
content: Naga (Indonesian people)
label: Culture
content: Korwa (Indic people)
label: Culture
content: Rajput (Indic people)
label: Culture
content: Savara (Indic people)
label: Culture
content: Thakuri (Indic people)
label: Culture
content: Tharu
label: Culture
content: Toda (Indic people)
setName: label: See more items in
content: The People of India: A Series of Photographic Illustrations, with Descriptive Letterpress, of the Races and Tribes of Hindustan
bioghist: label: Biographical / Historical
content: John Forbes Watson and John William Kaye assembled this ethnologic study collection from photographs made by British photographers in India. The collection documents the caste and culture groups of India for a British India Office multi-volume publication. A graduate of Aberdeen University in England, John Forbes Watson (1827-1892) served as an assistant surgeon in the Bombay Medical Services from 1850 to 1853. While in India, Watson began to research Indian agricultural resources. In 1858, he became reporter on the products of India for the India Office in England. A year later, he became director of the India Office's India Museum, devoted to promoting trade in the British Empire. While there, he published several monographs on Indian plants and textiles. In 1867, he was appointed keeper of the museum, and served in that capacity until he retired in 1879.
label: Biographical / Historical
content: John William Kaye (1814-1876) was secretary of the India Office's Political and Secret Department.
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 8 Items
unitdate: label: Date
content: 1868
label: Date
content: London, C. Whiting Beaufort House, Strand, 1868-1875
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives
identifier: label: Identifier
content: FSA.A1990.03
objectType: label: Type
content: Collection descriptions
label: Type
content: Archival materials
label: Type
content: Photographs
arrangement: label: Arrangement
content: The collection is composed of 8 bound volumes with 470 albumen photoprints mounted alongside text. Photographs are arranged by region, with culture group and region, some also with name and occupation of subjects.
genre_format: label: Genre/Form
content: Photographs
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: Photographers represented include J.C.A. Dannenberg, R.H. DeMontmorency, E. Godfrey, W.W. Hooper, H.C. McDonald, J. Mulheran, G. Richter, Shepherd & Robertson (later as Bourne & Shepherd), B. Simpson, B.W. Switzer, H.C.B. Tanner, C.C. Taylor, and J. Waterhouse.
label: Scope and Contents
content: Taken in the 1850s and 1860s, these photographs portray the people of many castes, culture groups, and occupations in India, posed individually and in groups. Indian culture groups portrayed include Bhogta, Bhoti, Chero, Dombo, Gond, Gujarati, Ho, Kachari, Kishangarh, Kota, Lepcha, Mishmi, Munda, Naga, Pahari, Paithan, Rajput, Saora, Singpho, Thakur, Tharu, and Toda. Peoples portrayed are from parts of India and surrounding areas, now in Afghanistan, Burma, Iran and Pakistan, such as Assam, Bareli, Behat, Cachar, Chittagong, Delhi, Hazara, Hisar, Kohat, Lahore, Madras, Munjpur, Mysore, Palamau, Shahabad, Shahjahanpur, Sikkim, and Sind.
label: Scope and Contents
content: Occupations illustrated include barbers, blacksmiths, carpenters, charcoal carriers, farmers, fish vendors, horse dealers, interpreters, landlords, mendicants, merchants, officials, priests, warriors, and water carriers. Activities shown include dancing and knitting. Artifacts and material culture documented include books, buildings, devotional objects, tools, and weapons such as bows, clubs, shields, guns and spears.