SIGNED & NUMBERED IN NEGATIVE “BOURNE & SHEPHERD / 2360” · RARE VIEW
Original albumen photograph on paper, taken and printed circa the 1880s. Signed and numbered in the negative: “Bourne & Shepherd / 2360.”
Loose and unframed. Measures approximately 31 cm x 17.5 cm.
The Image
This striking large-format photograph depicts a traditional raised wooden building in Burma (modern-day Myanmar), supported on tall timber stilts and crowned with tiered roof forms characteristic of Burmese architecture. The British Library holds an identical copy with the manuscript caption 'The Clergy House, Mandalay, Burmah. The Residency was near to this'.
Children and staff are visible gathered along the elevated verandah and stairway, providing both human scale and a rare documentary glimpse of colonial-era education in Southeast Asia. The long horizontal composition emphasises the architectural rhythm of the stilt supports, while the elevated walkway draws the eye across the façade.
The clarity of detail — from the timber construction to the assembled figures — reflects Bourne & Shepherd’s high production standards during their late 19th-century expansion across British India and Burma.
Historical Context
Bourne & Shepherd, founded in the 1860s, became one of the most important photographic studios operating in India and the wider region. Their Burmese views are considerably scarcer than their Indian architectural series, particularly large-format educational or social documentary subjects such as this.
Imagery from colonial Burma is uncommon in the market, making this both architecturally and historically appealing.
Condition
Good to Very Good overall condition. Tones strong and well preserved. Possibly trimmed slightly along the top edge in the sky area. A couple of pale mounting marks to the reverse. Light creasing, tiny chips to lower corners, and a small closed tear at the upper right edge. Light signs of prior mounting to rear. Please study gallery images carefully and request further details if required.
A rare and visually engaging Bourne & Shepherd Burma photograph — combining architectural character with human presence.