The book contains around 400 albumen prints of people from Burma to Afghanistan, and includes 24 photographs of Nepali citizens even though Nepal was not part of the Indian empire. For whatever reason this was done, we have a treasure trove of portraits from long ago.
The Nepal pictures provide a window on how Nepalis carried themselves 150 years ago, how they dressed, how long they kept their hair, what weaponry and implements they used. Whereas we have many photographs of the Rana court and subsequently of the Newar and Khas nobility, this is the first photographic 'shoot' of ordinary Nepalis. The text which accompanied the photographs are thought to have been provided by the previous British resident in Kathmandu, Brian Hodgson.
![]() A Gurung youth looks to us through the prism of history. His hair is nearly at shoulder length, and a talisman hangs from his neck. He wears a peculiar garment that all the other males wear in this set of photographs, seeming to represent the pre-daura suruwal era. |
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![]() There are only four pictures with female subjects in the collection. In general, the dress, coiffure, and ornamentation of women seem to have changed less than those of the males. Pictures 2 and 3 show a Sunuwar and Limbu woman, respectively. |
![]() The middle-aged Limbu gentleman wears a regular padded Nepali topi and has twirled his moustache. |
![]() Picture of a Magar elder with wrap-around shawl and a 'Himali' topi. |
![]() Titled 'Murmi' in The People of India, this Tamang youth sports a khukuri and a topi of the kind that is worn by Himalayan lamas. |
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![]() Identified in the book as Khas, the youth is wearing a Nepali topi with a khukuri placed on his cummerbund. The same man is made to pose at rest in photograph 7. |
![]() Group photograph of Newar 'Banda' priests in their unique traditional attire. |
![]() Photograph of Tamang trio shows two young men observing a woman carrying a load of firewood. |
![]() Photograph shows the youth from photograph 1 in conversation with two others, while holding on to what seems to be a ceremonial umbrella. |
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![]() The young Newar sports a padded Nepali topi and shoulder-length hair. He is seen at the left in the picture meant to depict a bazar scene. |
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![]() Group portraits showing platoons of Gurung, Limbu, and Magar soldiers (left to right), perhaps deputed from the Gorkhali army by Jung Bahadur to pose for the photographer. The subjects carry khukuris as well as bows, arrows, and quivers. |
![]() Two Tamang youth are seen with pick-axes, apparently part of some construction activity. |
![]() Sunuwar youth wearing a turban. |