W. S. Hooper and Mr Lears, 'A short description of the hill tribes called Sowrahs'...

Collection of eight oval albumen prints mounted on tinted card and accompanied by a 3pp. letterpress descriptive text by William Stanley Hooper, Madras Civil Service and 'Late Principal Assistant Agent to the Governor in Ganjam.' A handwritten note accompanying the collection, dated February 1865, notes that two sets of the eight prints were presented by Hooper, but that one has been temporarily deposited with Dr John Forbes Watson. This does not appear to have been returned to the collection. The letterpress gives a general description of the Sowrahs and also states that the 'accompanying 8 photographs taken by Mr Lears, an Apothecary in the service of Government, will give a good idea of their stature and caste of feature.'. The photographs were probably taken in 1862 in response to the government circular of June 1861 calling for information on 'the more remarkable tribes to be found in India' and requesting 'photographic likenesses' to be made 'of a few characteristic specimens of such of them as exist within your jurisdiction' (E. C. Bayley to the Secretary to the Government of Bengal, 17 June 1861, Bengal Proceedings 1861, no. 3311, IOR/P/15/21). A letter of 13 February 1863 from Hooper's father F. T. Hooper records the sending in of two sets of the photographs for presentation to the Secretary of State for India. The reply of 18 February 1863 acknowledges the receipt in the India Office of the photographs (Financial Papers, 1863, minute no. 265, IOR/F/L/2/268). Process = Albumen prints. Photographers = Mr Lears.,;.

Unrestricted. Appointment Required to view these records. Please consult Asian and African Studies Print Room staff.