Samuel Bourne
1863 (ca)
Crossing the Bea River on Mussocks, India

Albumen print, from wet collodion negative
Christie's - London
Courtesy of Christie's London (www.christies.com)
 
One of Bourne's many memorable images of life in mid-Victorian India. Here 'mussock men' used inflated buffalo skins to cross the Bea River, sitting astride the inflated skins while they ferried both passengers and goods across the waters. Under the tree is what is believed to be Bourne's yellow calico dark tent. (John Hannavy, 2008)
 
This photograph was included in the book by John Hannavy "Great Photographic Journeys - in the footsteps of Pioneer British Photographers" (Dewi Lewis Publishing, 2008 - # ISBN-10: 1904587542, # ISBN-13: 978-1904587545)
 
LL/31364
 
XL