John McCosh

John McCosh
Narození5. března 1805
Kirkmichael
Úmrtí1885 (ve věku 79–80 let)
Londýn
Alma materEdinburská univerzita
Povolánífotograf, válečný fotograf a fotograf architektury
Významná dílaAdvice to Officers in India
Oceněníspolečník Královské geografické společnosti
Logo Wikimedia Commons multimediální obsah na Commons
Některá data mohou pocházet z datové položky.
Chirurg John McCosh, Bengal Medical Establishment, Indie, 1852

John McCosh nebo John MacCosh nebo James McCosh (5. března 1805, Kirkmichael, Ayrshire – 18. ledna[1] / 16. března[2] 1885) byl skotský armádní chirurg, který pořizoval dokumentární fotografie během své služby v Indii a Barmě.[1][3] Jeho fotografie během druhé anglo-sikhské války (1848–1849) lidí a míst spojených s britskou nadvládou v Indii (pro kterou je nejznámější) a z druhé barmské války (1852–1853)[4][5] lze podle některých historiků považovat za dostatečné důvody, aby ho uznali jako prvního válečného fotografa známého jménem.[4][6] John McCosh napsal řadu knih o medicíně a fotografii, stejně jako knihy poezie. Pořídil nejstarší známé fotografie Sikhů a jejich vládce Duleepa Singha.[7]

Roddy Simpson o McCoshových fotografiích napsal, že „vzhledem k okolnostem jsou tyto snímky značným úspěchem a bez ohledu na uměleckou hodnotu jsou historicky velmi důležité“.[8] Taylor a Schaaf napsali, že „McCosh vytvořil kompozice, které byly na danou dobu výjimečné“[3]:s.123 a že na rozdíl od jeho současníků „v jeho rukou nebyla fotografie pouze zábavou, ale stala se prostředkem k zaznamenávání historie“.[3]:s.123

Životopis

Mládí

V roce 1831[2] se McCosh ve svých šestadvaceti letech stal asistentem chirurga v indické lékařské službě (Bengálsko), v armádě Východoindické společnosti, a sloužil s jeho Bengálskou armádou.[4] Viděl aktivní službu na severovýchodní hranici Indie proti lidem Kol v letech 1832 až 1833.[9]

Dne 11. října 1833, na nemocenské s tropickou nemocí, ztroskotala loď, na které se plavil z Madrasu do Hobartu v Tasmánii v Austrálii,[pozn. 1] u pustého a vzdáleného ostrova Amsterdam v jižním Indickém oceánu.[9] Z 97 lidí na palubě přežilo 21, přičemž McCosh byl jediným přeživším cestujícím. Byli zachráněni 26. října americkým pečetním škunerem, generálem Jacksonem, a převezeni na Mauricius.[10] Napsal knihu popisující své zkušenosti, Vyprávění o ztroskotání Lady Munro, na pustém ostrově Amsterdam, říjen 1833 (1835).

'Goalpara' (1837), litografie, John McCosh, z Topography of Assam

V roce 1840[2] / 1841 až 1842[3] se vrátil do Edinburghu na další školení jako chirurg, studoval vojenskou chirurgii, chirurgii a lékařskou jurisprudenci na Edinburské univerzitě.[2]

Fotografická kariéra

„Umělec McCosh“, Indie, John McCosh, 1850

V roce 1843 se McCosh vrátil do Indie jako asistent chirurga u 31. bengálské národní pěchoty a účastnil se tažení v Gwalioru a bitvy u Maharajpuru 29. prosince 1843.[1] Za bitvu u Maharajpuru obdržel Gwaliorovou hvězdu.[9] McCosh začal pořizovat fotografie buď v roce 1843,[8][11] nebo 1848.[2][pozn. 2]

Byl poslán do Almory na úpatí Himalájí a do Džalandharu v Paňdžábu.[3]

V roce 1848 se v Paňdžábu zúčastnil druhé anglo-sikhské války (1848–1849) s 5. baterií bengálského dělostřelectva[3] / 2. bengálského evropského pluku[3], kde působil jako hlavní chirurg. Většinou jeho fotografie byly portréty kolegů důstojníků, klíčových postav z tažení,[4] správců a jejich manželek a dcer, včetně osobností jako například: Patrick Alexander Vans Agnew,[2]:s.911 Hugh Gough, 1. vikomt Gough; britský velitel generál sir Charles James Napier; a Dewan Mulraj / Mul Raj, Diwan (guvernér) města Multan (klíčový vůdce sikhského národa proti Britům).[1][3] Fotografoval také místní domorodce a architekturu.[3] Jeho tisky z tohoto období neměří větší než 10 × 8 cm a byly pravděpodobně vyrobeny z fotoaparátu o velikosti čtvrtiny desky.[2]:s.911–912

Zabavené zbraně v Rangúnu v Barmě během druhé anglo-barmské války, John McCosh, 1852

V Britské Barmě viděl aktivní službu v Yangonu (brity známé jako Rangún) a Prome. McCosh žil v Barmě (nyní známé jako Myanmar) během druhé barmské války (1852–1853), kde pomocí většího a těžšího fotoaparátu vytvářel portréty kolegů, zachytil zbraně, chrámovou architekturu v Yangonu a barmských lidí.[4] Podle Taylora a Schaafa měl McCosh „kvazi-oficiální funkci fotografovat během tohoto konfliktu“.[3]:s.127 Jeho tisky z tohoto období jsou do 20 × 22 cm, což naznačuje, že fotoaparát měřil velikost celé desky.[2]:s.912

McCosh pořídil první fotografie sikhského lidu a paláců v Láhauru;[12] nejstarší známou fotografii Samadhi z Randžíta Singha z roku 1849.[13] Jeho padesát fotografií Barmy z roku 1852 jsou nejstarší snímky země, které se dochovaly[14] a jeho fotografické studie barmských lidí jsou také nejstarší.[14]

McCosh pro své fotografie používal převážně proces kalotypie, první možný proces negativ – pozitiv, využívající papír, patentovaný Henrym Foxem Talbotem v roce 1841.[9] Tímto procesem vznikl průsvitný originální negativní obraz, papírový negativ, ze kterého bylo možné jednoduchým kontaktním tiskem vyrobit více pozitivů. McCosh také používal pozdější kolodiový proces[2]:s.911, ačkoli zároveň pokračoval v procesu kalotypie pro větší tisky, kvůli jeho věrnosti.

Pozdější život

Fotografování se vzdal buď na počátku 50. let 19. století[8] nebo až v roce 1856[2]:s.912 a z armády odešel 31. ledna 1856.[2][15]

V roce 1856 McCosh radil asistentům-chirurgům sloužícím v Indii, aby fotografovali:[16]

Doporučuji každému asistentovi chirurga, aby se stal mistrem fotografie ve všech jejích oblastech – na papíře, na skleněných deskách i na kovových deskách. Cvičil jsem to po mnoho let a neznám žádnou jinou profesní činnost, která by přinesla větší návratnost za všechny výdaje a námahu (a obojí je opravdu značné) než tento fascinující obor – zejména nový proces kolódiový proces pro stereoskop. Během své služby v Indii pomohl vytvořit takovou věrnou sbírku zobrazení lidí a zvířat, architektury a krajiny, která by byla vítaným příspěvkem do jakéhokoli muzea. Fotoaparát by měl být vyroben z kvalitního mahagonu, spojeného mosaznými sponami, aby vydržel extrémní teploty. Křehké skládací přenosné fotoaparáty, které jsou navrženy jako lehké pro použití v Indii, se rychle stanou nepoužitelnými. Je velkou chybou vyrábět věci lehké a přenosné pro použití v Indii, jako kdyby je měl vlastník sám nosit. Doprava pro každý kus vybavení je levná, bezpečná a hojně dostupná. Francouzský papír Canson frères je nejlepší a nezničí se vlhkostí tak rychle jako anglický papír.

John McCosh, Advice to Officers in India[17]

  V roce 1862 se stal členem Královské geografické společnosti.[1] Podle záznamů o akvizici uložil John McCosh fotografie, které pořídil v Paňdžábu v Art Library v roce 1884.[7]

McCosh zemřel v Londýně v roce 1885. Kámen na jeho památku stojí na severní stěně prvního severního rozšíření hřbitova Dean Cemetery v západním Edinburghu, kde jsou pohřbeni jeho sourozenci.

Reakce kritiků

Roddy Simpson v knize The Photography of Victorian Scotland (2012) o McCoshovi napsal, že "tyto fotografie nemají významnou estetickou kvalitu, ale ukazují touhu dokumentovat podobizny. Vzhledem k okolnostem jsou tyto snímky značným úspěchem a bez ohledu na uměleckou hodnotu jsou historicky velmi důležité".[8] Taylor a Schaaf v knize Impressed by Light: British Photographs from Paper Negatives, 1840–1860, napsali, že „McCosh vytvořil kompozice, které byly na dané období výjimečné“[3]:s.123 a že na rozdíl od jeho současníků „v jeho rukou nebyla fotografie pouze zábavou, ale stala se prostředkem k zaznamenávání historie“.[3]:s.123 Taylor a Schaaf také napsali, že „druh práce, kterou vykonali McCosh, [John] Murray a [Linnaeus] Tripe, se odrážel v širokém vzoru fotografické činnosti v celé Indii a v mnoha ohledech lze tyto tři považovat za vzory, u nichž ostatní hledali inspiraci.... "Málo fotografů v éře kalotypů se přiblížilo trvalému výkonu těchto tří a ve vizuální citlivosti a technické statečnosti zůstávají nepřekonatelní."[3]:s.131

Podle Raye McKenzieho nelze Johna McCoshe skutečně považovat za válečného fotografa, protože jen náhodou fotografoval, když probíhala vojenská kampaň, místo aby měl v úmyslu zachytit válku na fotografiích.[16] Dále McKenzie uvádí, že McCosh nikdy nefotografoval živé bojové zóny.[16]

Publikace

Publikace od McCoshe

Titulní strana „Lékařské rady indickému cizinci“ (1841) od Johna McCoshe
  • Narrative of the Wreck of the Lady Munro, on the Desolate Island of Amsterdam, October, 1833. (Vyprávění o vraku Lady Munro na pustém ostrově Amsterdam, říjen 1833.) Glasgow: W Bennet, 1835.[18]
  • Topography of Assam. (Topografie Assamu.) Kalkata: G. H. Huttmann, Bengal Military Orphan Press, 1837.[19]
  • Medical Advice to the Indian Stranger. (Lékařská rada indickému cizinci.) 1841.[20]
  • Advice to Officers in India. (Rady pro důstojníky v Indii) Upravené vydání. Londýn: Wm. H. Allen & Co., 1856
  • Nuova Italia, báseň. Druhá série. 1875.
  • Grand Tours in Many Lands, a Poem in 10 Cantos. (Velké cesty do mnoha zemí, báseň o deseti zpěvech. 1881.[21]
  • Sketches in Verse at Home and Abroad: And from The War of the Nile in Ten Cantos. (Náčrtky ve verších doma i v zahraničí: A z války na Nilu v deseti zpěvech.) Londýn: J. Blackwood, 1883.

Publikace s materiálem o McCoshovi

  • Oxford Companion to the Photograph. Oxford: Oxfordská univerzita, 2005. Editoval Robin Lenman. Zahrnuje krátkou biografii na McCosh.
  • Impressed by Light: British Photographs from Paper Negatives, 1840–1860. New York: Metropolitní muzeum umění, 2007. Roger Taylor s Larrym Johnem Schaafem. Zahrnuje profil McCoshe.[3]
  • Encyklopedie fotografie devatenáctého století. Ed. John Hannavy. Abingdon, Oxford: Taylor & Francis, 2007; Londýn: Routledge, 2013. ISBN 9781135873264

Výstavy s příspěvky McCoshe

Sbírky

Fotogalerie

Paňdžáb

  • Fotografie Maharaha Duleep Singh během jeho vlády jako dětského monarchy Sikhské říše, Lahore, asi 1848
    Fotografie Maharaha Duleep Singh během jeho vlády jako dětského monarchy Sikhské říše, Lahore, asi 1848
  • Fotografie Bikrama Singha Bediho, přímého potomka Guru Nanaka, asi 1847–1849
    Fotografie Bikrama Singha Bediho, přímého potomka Guru Nanaka, asi 1847–1849
  • Sikhský muž v turbanu ve stylu „sidhi pagh“, asi 1847–1849
    Sikhský muž v turbanu ve stylu „sidhi pagh“, asi 1847–1849
  • Brána mešity Badshahi v důsledku druhé anglické války Sikhů, Lahore, asi 1849
    Brána mešity Badshahi v důsledku druhé anglické války Sikhů, Lahore, asi 1849
  • Zabavené sikhské zbraně zaparkované v kantonu Ambala po druhé anglo-sikhské válce, asi duben 1849
    Zabavené sikhské zbraně zaparkované v kantonu Ambala po druhé anglo-sikhské válce, asi duben 1849

Barma

  • „Velká pagoda Prome (velmi starobylá)“, Barma, John McCosh, 1852.
    „Velká pagoda Prome (velmi starobylá)“, Barma, John McCosh, 1852.
  • Severovýchodní pohled na Velkou pagodu (Šweitigoumská pagoda, známá též jako Zlatá pagoda) v Prome, Barma, John McCosh, 1852
    Severovýchodní pohled na Velkou pagodu (Šweitigoumská pagoda, známá též jako Zlatá pagoda) v Prome, Barma, John McCosh, 1852
  • Barmská dívka, John McCosh, 1852
    Barmská dívka, John McCosh, 1852
  • Barmská žena, John McCosh, 1852
    Barmská žena, John McCosh, 1852
  • Východní vestibul Velké pagody (Šweitigoumská pagoda, známá též jako Zlatá pagoda) v Rangúnu, Barma, John McCosh, 1852
    Východní vestibul Velké pagody (Šweitigoumská pagoda, známá též jako Zlatá pagoda) v Rangúnu, Barma, John McCosh, 1852

Odkazy

Poznámky

  1. ↑ Nemoc byla označována jako „džunglová horečka“, což byl název pro tropické nemoci, jako je malárie.
  2. ↑ Simpson (2012) tvrdí, že McCosh začal vytvářet fotografie v roce 1843, stejně jako McKenzie (1987), který popisuje jednu z McCoshových nejranějších fotografií poručíka Stewarta, který byl zabit v roce 1843. Nicméně Hannavy (2007) tvrdí, že jeho první datovatelná fotografie pochází z roku 1848.

Reference

V tomto článku byl použit překlad textu z článku John McCosh na anglické Wikipedii.

  1. ↑ a b c d e f John McCosh [online]. University of St Andrews [cit. 2015-10-01]. Dostupné v archivu pořízeném z originálu dne 4 March 2016. 
  2. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k John Hannavy. Encyclopedia of Nineteenth-century Photography. [s.l.]: Taylor & Francis, 2007. Dostupné online. ISBN 9781135873264. S. 1467–1471. 
  3. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Roger Taylor; LARRY JOHN SCHAAF. Impressed by Light: British Photographs from Paper Negatives, 1840-1860. [s.l.]: Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2007. Dostupné online. ISBN 978-0300124057. S. 121–124. 
  4. ↑ a b c d e Mary Warner Marien. Photography: A Cultural History. London: Laurence King Publishing, 2006. Dostupné online. ISBN 978-1856694933. S. 49. 
  5. ↑ MARWIL, Jonathan. Photography at War [online]. History Today, 6 June 2000 [cit. 2015-10-01]. Dostupné online. 
  6. ↑ Kari Andén-Papadopoulos. Amateur Images and Global News. [s.l.]: Intellect Books, 2011. Dostupné online. ISBN 9781841506005. S. 45. 
  7. ↑ a b EDWARDS, Elizabeth; RAVILIOUS, Ella. What Photographs Do: The making and remaking of museum cultures. [s.l.]: UCL Press, 21 November 2022. Dostupné online. ISBN 9781800082984. S. 142–143. 
  8. ↑ a b c d Roddy Simpson. The Photography of Victorian Scotland. [s.l.]: Edinburgh University Press, 2012. Dostupné online. ISBN 9780748654642. 
  9. ↑ a b c d e f First Shots: Early War Photography 1848-60 [online]. National Army Museum [cit. 2015-10-01]. Dostupné v archivu pořízeném z originálu dne 5 October 2015. 
  10. ↑ Chronological List of Antarctic Expeditions and Related Historical Events. [s.l.]: Cambridge University Press, 1989. Dostupné online. ISBN 978-0-521-30903-5. 
  11. ↑ MCKENZIE, Ray. The Laboratory of Mankind – John McCosh and the Beginnings of Photography in British India. History of Photography. Taylor & Francis, 1987, s. 109–118. ISSN 0308-7298. doi:10.1080/03087298.1987.10443778. 
  12. ↑ Sikh historical photographs [online]. Victoria and Albert Museum [cit. 2015-10-01]. Dostupné online. 
  13. ↑ Photograph [online]. Victoria and Albert Museum [cit. 2015-10-01]. Dostupné online. 
  14. ↑ a b Denis D. Gray. 7 Days in Myanmar: By 30 Great Photographers. [s.l.]: Editions Didier Millet, 2014. Dostupné online. ISBN 9789814385749. 
  15. ↑ Surgeon John McCosh, Bengal Medical Establishment, 1852 (c). [online]. National Army Museum [cit. 2015-10-01]. Dostupné v archivu pořízeném z originálu dne 5 October 2015. 
  16. ↑ a b c MCKENZIE, Ray. Taylor & Francis. ‘The Laboratory of Mankind’: John McCosh and the Beginnings of Photography in British India. History of Photography. 1987, s. 109–118. Dostupné online. doi:10.1080/03087298.1987.10443778. 
  17. ↑ John McCosh. Advice to Officers in India. [s.l.]: [s.n.], 1856. S. 7. 
  18. ↑ McCosh, J. Narrative of the wreck of the lady Munro, on the desolate island of Amsterdam, October, 1833. [s.l.]: W Bennet, 1835. Dostupné online. 
  19. ↑ M'Cosh, J. Topography of Assam. [s.l.]: G. H. Huttmann, Bengal Military Orphan Pres, 1837. Dostupné online. 
  20. ↑ McCosh, J. Medical advice to the Indian stranger. [s.l.]: Allen, 1841. Dostupné online. 
  21. ↑ McCosh, J. Grand Tours in Many Lands: A Poem in Ten Cantos - Primary Source Edition. [s.l.]: BiblioBazaar, 2013. Dostupné online. ISBN 9781293130582. 
  22. ↑ a b Manuthiha, Guardian at the Shwe-Dagon Pagoda; Corner of great pagoda [online]. Victoria and Albert Museum [cit. 2015-10-01]. Dostupné online. 
  23. ↑ EDWARDS, Richard. First shots of combat photography in new exhibition of Crimean War. The Daily Telegraph. London: 3 August 2009. Dostupné online [cit. 1 October 2015]. 

Literatura

  • John MacCosh's Photographs. Peter Russell-Jones, Photographic Journal, sv. 108, leden 1968, strany 25–27.

Související články

Externí odkazy

Média použitá na této stránce

North-east view of the Great Pagoda (Shwesandaw or Temple of the Golden Hair Relic) at Prome, Burma, by John McCosh, 1852.jpg
North-east view of the Great Pagoda (Shwesandaw or Temple of the Golden Hair Relic) at Prome, Burma, by John McCosh, 1852. Photograph by Surgeon John McCosh (1805-1885), 1852. From an album of 310 photographs, 1848-1853.

NAM Accession Number: NAM. 1962-04-3-286

Location: National Army Museum, Study collection.

Object URL: [1]

National Army Museum description:

This glimpse of the splendour of Prome (Pyay) is evidence of McCosh's growing skill with his calotype camera. By the time of the 2nd Burma War (1852-1853) he was able to produce larger pictures, which enabled him to take landscapes as well as portraits. This picture of artillery pieces arranged outside the Great Pagoda was taken shortly after the fall of the city in July 1852. The statues are 'Chinthes', stylised lions. They are an important Burmese cultural symbol and are often found in pairs guarding the entrances to temples.

Captured Sikh guns parked in Ambala cantonment in the aftermath of the Second Anglo-Sikh War, by John McCosh, circa April 1849.jpg
Captured Sikh guns of the Sikh Empire parked in Ambala cantonment in the aftermath of the Second Anglo-Sikh War, calotype or daguerreotype by John McCosh, circa April 1849.

Kashi House description:

By the close of second Anglo-Sikh War (1848-49), the British had taken possession of 253 Sikh guns, of which 173 were either captured in the field or surrendered, and a further 80 found at forts in Lahore and Amritsar.

Published in: 'Warrior Saints: Four Centuries of Sikh Military History' (Vol. 1, page 174)

Images of this photograph can also be found at: [1]; [2]

Description of John McCosh's photography work in the Punjab and with Sikhs (from: [3], with grammatical improvements by me [the uploader]):

Though history of professional photography in India starts in the early 1860's when the British government invited photographers to take part in the Survey of India, there are many photographs that were taken earlier by different British military officers during the 1840's and 1850's. John McCosh, one of the first photographers known to have worked in India, was an army surgeon with the East India Company. He was based in Lahore and Ludhiana, just before the started of the Second Anglo-Sikh War, in 1847, and produced many photographs using the calotype process, including the only known picture of Duleep Singh as a Maharaja. The reign of this boy king, the son of Sardar Ranjit Singh, was ended by the war.

The McCosh's surviving photographs include over a dozen photos of Sikhs, mainly officers in the Sikh army, as well as some of the non-Sikh officers, who were also encouraged to grow long-beards. As well as photographing people, McCosh also photographed the Sikh palaces and other buildings, as well as landscapes and military scenes. A collection of military photographs attributed to him is in the National Army Museum, Royal Hospital Road, Chelsea, London.

Further description (taken from: [4]):

The McCosh collection in the National Army Museum in London, England, consists of 310 surviving photographs of British officers and their families. His portfolio also includes ten images of Punjabi subjects: apart from Duleep Singh, some Sikh Chieftains, granthis, and the samadhi (incorrectly listed as a tomb) of Maharaja Ranjit Singh.

This photograph may have originally been arranged on a page grouped together with other photographs labelled "Sikhs", with each having an album/mount caption, as per Elizabeth Edwards and Ella Ravilious in 'What Photographs Do: The Making and Remaking of Museum Cultures' (pages 142–143, 21 November 2022, ISBN: 9781800082984), available for free download via: [5]

Quote from the above discussing this:

A particularly notable discovery was a group of calotypes of Burmese architecture and people. Some were beautifully composed, but in general there was a sense of amateur experimentation about them. One of them was mounted on white paper with the handwritten title ‘Great Pagoda Prome (very ancient)’; however, of much greater interest to me was the reverse of the page. Here were nine empty spaces with torn sepia remnants where whole photographs had once been; each of the spaces was marked with an accession number, and the group was titled ‘Sikhs’, with the central image ‘Maharajah’. This was probably the result of a misguided attempt to lift the images from the page and potentially rearrange them according to new evaluations such as separating architecture from people, but I recognised this as a significant loss. Cultural knowledge enabled their identification as the earliest photographs of the Sikh people and their ruler Duleep Singh. The acquisition registers revealed that Dr McCosh deposited them in the Art Library in 1884, and subsequent research identified them as extremely rare prints by Dr John McCosh (figure 8.3).

Burmese woman, by John McCosh, 1852.jpg
Burmese woman, by John McCosh, 1852. Photograph by Surgeon John McCosh (1805-1885), 1852 (c). From an album of 310 photographs, 1848-1853.

NAM Accession Number: NAM. 1962-04-3-119

Location: National Army Museum, Study collection.

Object URL: [1]

National Army Museum description:

This sensitive portrait of an unknown Burmese woman is a fine example of how John McCosh, a surgeon with the Bengal Army, fused artistic and anthropological interests in his portraiture. McCosh was keen to learn about the new peoples and societies that he came into contact with while on campaign. In this sense his photographic work fits into the wider pattern of the Victorian spirit of scientific endeavour, which encompassed a desire to understand the world through systematically exploring, recording and classifying it contents. Yet clearly McCosh also approaches his subjects with an artistic eye. He was keen to capture the essence and dignity of an individual and his work evinces close attention to posture and expression.

'Great Pagoda Prome (very ancient)', Burma, by John McCosh, 1852.jpg
'Great Pagoda Prome (very ancient)', Burma, by John McCosh, 1852. Front and back of mounted photograph (no. 85330). © Victoria and Albert Museum, London.
Title-page of 'Medical Advice to the Indian Stranger' (1841) by John McCosh.jpg
Title-page of 'Medical Advice to the Indian Stranger' (1841) by John McCosh. Title page for John M'Cosh, M.D. "Medical Advice to the Indian Stranger" (London: Wm. H. Allen, 1841). Published by W. H. Allen & Co.
'Goalpara' (1837), lithograph, by John McCosh, from 'Topography of Assam'.png
'Goalpara' (1837), lithograph, by John McCosh, 12 x 19 cm, from 'Topography of Assam'.
Burmese girl, by John McCosh, 1852.jpg
Burmese girl, by John McCosh, 1852. Photograph by John McCosh (1805-1885), 1852 (c).

NAM Accession Number: NAM. 1962-04-3-287

Location: National Army Museum, Study collection.

Object URL: [1]

National Army Museum description:

Surgeon John McCosh of the Bengal Army was one of the first people to photograph Indian subjects during the late 1840s and early 1850s. He produced many fine photographs and the National Army Museum holds an album of these rare images. They include portraits of different peoples including Bengalis, Sikhs, Pathans and Burmese, including the young girl shown here. As well as people, McCosh also photographed palaces, temples, landscapes and military scenes.

During the nineteenth century, both the British Army and the East India Company's Army encouraged its soldiers to photograph India, to record its archaeological sites, places of scientific interest and ethnic diversity. Part of the imperial presence, the soldier photographers were among those who conquered, surveyed and ruled huge tracts of the sub-continent.

The rise of photography also coincided with the development of archaeology, anthropology and the spread of the museum, all of which were based on an impulse to collect, classify and control information about diverse cultures. At the same time, India's position as 'the jewel in the crown' ensured it would be an attractive topic for photographers, who were eager to show people at home the wonders of Britain's eastern empire. It is thanks to their efforts that we have such fine ethnographic collections in our museums.

'The Artist McCosh', India, by John McCosh, 1850.jpg
'The Artist McCosh', by John McCosh, 1850. Photograph, India, 1850 (c). From an album of 310 photographs, 1848-1853.

NAM Accession Number: NAM. 1962-04-3-296

Location: National Army Museum, Study collection.

Object URL: [1]

National Army Museum description:

John McCosh (1805-1885) was a pioneer of both war photography and photography in south-east Asia. During his service as a Surgeon with the Bengal Army in the 2nd Sikh War (1848-1849) and 2nd Burma War (1852-1853), he succeeded in taking a remarkable series of calotype photographs which are amongst the earliest military photographs in existence. Limited at first to portraiture, his work illustrates his wide-ranging interest and artistic eye, with subjects including British military personnel and their families as well as local peoples. As his skill improved he was able to include larger landscape and architectural photographs and while in Burma (Myanmar) he took pictures of many of the splendid buildings in Prome (Pyay) and Rangoon (Yangon).

Captured guns in Rangoon, Burma during the Second Anglo-Burmese War, by John McCosh, 1852.jpg
Captured guns Rangoon, Burma, by John McCosh, 1852. Photograph, 2nd Burma War (1852-1853). From an album of 310 photographs taken by Surgeon John McCosh, 1848-1853.

NAM Accession Number: NAM. 1962-04-3-4

Location: National Army Museum, Study collection.

Object URL: [1]

National Army Museum description:

The gun depicted is a British Blomefield pattern gun from around 1800. On 12 April 1852, General Henry Godwin led a British force ashore at Rangoon that included the 51st (2nd Yorkshire West Riding) Light Infantry and the 18th (Royal Irish) Regiment. After two days of fighting, the capture of Rangoon was completed with the storming of the Great Dagon (or Shwedagon) Pagoda. The British then pursued the retiring Burmese army northwards.

Gateway of Badshahi Mosque in the aftermath of the Second-Anglo Sikh War, Lahore, ca.1849.jpg
Gateway of Badshahi Mosque in the aftermath of the Second-Anglo Sikh War, Lahore, ca.1849

Images of this photograph can also be found at: [1]; [2]

Description of John McCosh's photography work in the Punjab and with Sikhs (from: [3], with grammatical improvements by me [the uploader]):

> Though history of professional photography in India starts in the early 1860's when the British government invited photographers to take part in the Survey of India, there are many photographs that were taken earlier by different British military officers during the 1840's and 1850's. John McCosh, one of the first photographers known to have worked in India, was an army surgeon with the East India Company. He was based in Lahore and Ludhiana, just before the started of the Second Anglo-Sikh War, in 1847, and produced many photographs using the calotype process, including the only known picture of Duleep Singh as a Maharaja. The reign of this boy king, the son of Sardar Ranjit Singh, was ended by the war.

The McCosh's surviving photographs include over a dozen photos of Sikhs, mainly officers in the Sikh army, as well as some of the non-Sikh officers, who were also encouraged to grow long-beards. As well as photographing people, McCosh also photographed the Sikh palaces and other buildings, as well as landscapes and military scenes. A collection of military photographs attributed to him is in the National Army Museum, Royal Hospital Road, Chelsea, London.

Further description (taken from: [4]):

The McCosh collection in the National Army Museum in London, England, consists of 310 surviving photographs of British officers and their families. His portfolio also includes ten images of Punjabi subjects: apart from Duleep Singh, some Sikh Chieftains, granthis, and the samadhi (incorrectly listed as a tomb) of Maharaja Ranjit Singh.

This photograph may have originally been arranged on a page grouped together with other photographs labelled "Sikhs", with each having an album/mount caption, as per Elizabeth Edwards and Ella Ravilious in 'What Photographs Do: The Making and Remaking of Museum Cultures' (pages 142–143, 21 November 2022, ISBN: 9781800082984), available for free download via: [5]

Quote from the above discussing this:

A particularly notable discovery was a group of calotypes of Burmese architecture and people. Some were beautifully composed, but in general there was a sense of amateur experimentation about them. One of them was mounted on white paper with the handwritten title ‘Great Pagoda Prome (very ancient)’; however, of much greater interest to me was the reverse of the page. Here were nine empty spaces with torn sepia remnants where whole photographs had once been; each of the spaces was marked with an accession number, and the group was titled ‘Sikhs’, with the central image ‘Maharajah’. This was probably the result of a misguided attempt to lift the images from the page and potentially rearrange them according to new evaluations such as separating architecture from people, but I recognised this as a significant loss. Cultural knowledge enabled their identification as the earliest photographs of the Sikh people and their ruler Duleep Singh. The acquisition registers revealed that Dr McCosh deposited them in the Art Library in 1884, and subsequent research identified them as extremely rare prints by Dr John McCosh (figure 8.3).

Photograph of Bikram Singh Bedi, a direct descendant of Guru Nanak, by John McCosh, ca.1847–1849 (full).jpg
Photograph of Bikram Singh Bedi, a direct descendant of Guru Nanak, calotype or daguerreotype by John McCosh, ca.1847–1849 (possibly Lahore, 1849).

Description of John McCosh's photography work in the Punjab and with Sikhs (from: [1], with grammatical improvements by me [the uploader]):

Though history of professional photography in India starts in the early 1860's when the British government invited photographers to take part in the Survey of India, there are many photographs that were taken earlier by different British military officers during the 1840's and 1850's. John McCosh, one of the first photographers known to have worked in India, was an army surgeon with the East India Company. He was based in Lahore and Ludhiana, just before the started of the Second Anglo-Sikh War, in 1847, and produced many photographs using the calotype process, including the only known picture of Duleep Singh as a Maharaja. The reign of this boy king, the son of Sardar Ranjit Singh, was ended by the war.

The McCosh's surviving photographs include over a dozen photos of Sikhs, mainly officers in the Sikh army, as well as some of the non-Sikh officers, who were also encouraged to grow long-beards. As well as photographing people, McCosh also photographed the Sikh palaces and other buildings, as well as landscapes and military scenes. A collection of military photographs attributed to him is in the National Army Museum, Royal Hospital Road, Chelsea, London.

Further description (taken from: [2]):

The McCosh collection in the National Army Museum in London, England, consists of 310 surviving photographs of British officers and their families. His portfolio also includes ten images of Punjabi subjects: apart from Duleep Singh, some Sikh Chieftains, granthis, and the samadhi (incorrectly listed as a tomb) of Maharaja Ranjit Singh.

This photograph may have originally been arranged on a page grouped together with other photographs labelled "Sikhs", with each having an album/mount caption, as per Elizabeth Edwards and Ella Ravilious in 'What Photographs Do: The Making and Remaking of Museum Cultures' (pages 142–143, 21 November 2022, ISBN: 9781800082984), available for free download via: [3]

Quote from the above discussing this:

A particularly notable discovery was a group of calotypes of Burmese architecture and people. Some were beautifully composed, but in general there was a sense of amateur experimentation about them. One of them was mounted on white paper with the handwritten title ‘Great Pagoda Prome (very ancient)’; however, of much greater interest to me was the reverse of the page. Here were nine empty spaces with torn sepia remnants where whole photographs had once been; each of the spaces was marked with an accession number, and the group was titled ‘Sikhs’, with the central image ‘Maharajah’. This was probably the result of a misguided attempt to lift the images from the page and potentially rearrange them according to new evaluations such as separating architecture from people, but I recognised this as a significant loss. Cultural knowledge enabled their identification as the earliest photographs of the Sikh people and their ruler Duleep Singh. The acquisition registers revealed that Dr McCosh deposited them in the Art Library in 1884, and subsequent research identified them as extremely rare prints by Dr John McCosh (figure 8.3).

Photograph of Maharaha Duleep Singh during his reign as a child monarch of the Sikh Empire, by John McCosh, Lahore, ca.1848 (detail).jpg
Photograph of Maharaha Duleep Singh during his reign as a child monarch of the Sikh Empire, calotype or daguerreotype by John McCosh, Lahore, Sikh Empire, ca.1848. Duleep Singh would have been around 10-years-old when this photograph was taken. He can be seen wearing the Koh-i-Noor diamond on his right arm as part of a baju-band. He is photographed whilst seated in a European-style chair.

Uploader's note: Whilst some have claimed this photograph was taken in 1849 rather than 1848, based on the research I have conducted it was actually taken in 1848.

Images of this photograph can also be found at: [1]; [2]; [3]; [4]

Description of John McCosh's photography work in the Punjab and with Sikhs (from: [5], with grammatical improvements by me [the uploader]):

Though history of professional photography in India starts in the early 1860's when the British government invited photographers to take part in the Survey of India, there are many photographs that were taken earlier by different British military officers during the 1840's and 1850's. John McCosh, one of the first photographers known to have worked in India, was an army surgeon with the East India Company. He was based in Lahore and Ludhiana, just before the started of the Second Anglo-Sikh War, in 1847, and produced many photographs using the calotype process, including the only known picture of Duleep Singh as a Maharaja. The reign of this boy king, the son of Sardar Ranjit Singh, was ended by the war.

The McCosh's surviving photographs include over a dozen photos of Sikhs, mainly officers in the Sikh army, as well as some of the non-Sikh officers, who were also encouraged to grow long-beards. As well as photographing people, McCosh also photographed the Sikh palaces and other buildings, as well as landscapes and military scenes. A collection of military photographs attributed to him is in the National Army Museum, Royal Hospital Road, Chelsea, London.

Further description (taken from: [6]):

The McCosh collection in the National Army Museum in London, England, consists of 310 surviving photographs of British officers and their families. His portfolio also includes ten images of Punjabi subjects: apart from Duleep Singh, some Sikh Chieftains, granthis, and the samadhi (incorrectly listed as a tomb) of Maharaja Ranjit Singh.

This photograph may have originally been arranged on a page grouped together with other photographs labelled "Sikhs", with each having an album/mount caption, as per Elizabeth Edwards and Ella Ravilious in 'What Photographs Do: The Making and Remaking of Museum Cultures' (pages 142–143, 21 November 2022, ISBN: 9781800082984), available for free download via: [7]

Quote from the above discussing this:

A particularly notable discovery was a group of calotypes of Burmese architecture and people. Some were beautifully composed, but in general there was a sense of amateur experimentation about them. One of them was mounted on white paper with the handwritten title ‘Great Pagoda Prome (very ancient)’; however, of much greater interest to me was the reverse of the page. Here were nine empty spaces with torn sepia remnants where whole photographs had once been; each of the spaces was marked with an accession number, and the group was titled ‘Sikhs’, with the central image ‘Maharajah’. This was probably the result of a misguided attempt to lift the images from the page and potentially rearrange them according to new evaluations such as separating architecture from people, but I recognised this as a significant loss. Cultural knowledge enabled their identification as the earliest photographs of the Sikh people and their ruler Duleep Singh. The acquisition registers revealed that Dr McCosh deposited them in the Art Library in 1884, and subsequent research identified them as extremely rare prints by Dr John McCosh (figure 8.3).

Photograph of a man of the Sikh Empire wearing a 'sidhi pagh' style of turban, by John McCosh, ca.1847–1849.jpg
Photograph of a man (unknown if he is a commoner or official) of the Sikh Empire wearing a 'sidhi pagh' [alt. spelt as 'siddhi pagh'] style of turban, calotype or daguerreotype by John McCosh, ca.1847–1849. This photograph may have also been taken in Ludhaiana, where John McCosh also stayed whilst he was in the Punjab.

The siddhi pagh turban style is still tied by members of the Majhail community and Namdhari Sikhs.

Images of this photograph can also be found at: [1]; [2]

Description of John McCosh's photography work in the Punjab and with Sikhs (from: [3], with grammatical improvements by me [the uploader]):

Though history of professional photography in India starts in the early 1860's when the British government invited photographers to take part in the Survey of India, there are many photographs that were taken earlier by different British military officers during the 1840's and 1850's. John McCosh, one of the first photographers known to have worked in India, was an army surgeon with the East India Company. He was based in Lahore and Ludhiana, just before the started of the Second Anglo-Sikh War, in 1847, and produced many photographs using the calotype process, including the only known picture of Duleep Singh as a Maharaja. The reign of this boy king, the son of Sardar Ranjit Singh, was ended by the war.

The McCosh's surviving photographs include over a dozen photos of Sikhs, mainly officers in the Sikh army, as well as some of the non-Sikh officers, who were also encouraged to grow long-beards. As well as photographing people, McCosh also photographed the Sikh palaces and other buildings, as well as landscapes and military scenes. A collection of military photographs attributed to him is in the National Army Museum, Royal Hospital Road, Chelsea, London.

Further description (taken from: [4]):

The McCosh collection in the National Army Museum in London, England, consists of 310 surviving photographs of British officers and their families. His portfolio also includes ten images of Punjabi subjects: apart from Duleep Singh, some Sikh Chieftains, granthis, and the samadhi (incorrectly listed as a tomb) of Maharaja Ranjit Singh.

This photograph may have originally been arranged on a page grouped together with other photographs labelled "Sikhs", with each having an album/mount caption, as per Elizabeth Edwards and Ella Ravilious in 'What Photographs Do: The Making and Remaking of Museum Cultures' (pages 142–143, 21 November 2022, ISBN: 9781800082984), available for free download via: [5]

Quote from the above discussing this:

A particularly notable discovery was a group of calotypes of Burmese architecture and people. Some were beautifully composed, but in general there was a sense of amateur experimentation about them. One of them was mounted on white paper with the handwritten title ‘Great Pagoda Prome (very ancient)’; however, of much greater interest to me was the reverse of the page. Here were nine empty spaces with torn sepia remnants where whole photographs had once been; each of the spaces was marked with an accession number, and the group was titled ‘Sikhs’, with the central image ‘Maharajah’. This was probably the result of a misguided attempt to lift the images from the page and potentially rearrange them according to new evaluations such as separating architecture from people, but I recognised this as a significant loss. Cultural knowledge enabled their identification as the earliest photographs of the Sikh people and their ruler Duleep Singh. The acquisition registers revealed that Dr McCosh deposited them in the Art Library in 1884, and subsequent research identified them as extremely rare prints by Dr John McCosh (figure 8.3).

East vestibule of the Great Pagoda (Shwesandaw or Temple of the Golden Hair Relic) at Rangoon, Burma, by John McCosh, 1852.jpg
East vestibule of the Great Pagoda (Shwesandaw or Temple of the Golden Hair Relic) at Rangoon, Burma, by John McCosh, 1852. Photograph by Surgeon John McCosh (1805-1885), Burma, 1852. From an album of 310 photographs taken by Surgeon John McCosh, 1848-1853.

NAM Accession Number: NAM. 1962-04-3-310

Location: National Army Museum, Study collection.

Object URL: [1]

National Army Museum description:

The Great Dagon Pagoda, or Shwedagon, is a sacred stupa in Rangoon (Yangon) that is believed to hold relics including strands of hair from the Buddha.

John McCosh (1805-1885) was a pioneer of both military photography and the photography of south-east Asia. During his service as a surgeon with the Bengal Army in the 2nd Sikh War (1848-1849) and the 2nd Burma War (1852-1853), he succeeded in taking a remarkable series of calotype pictures which are among the earliest military photographs in existence. Limited at first to portraiture, his work illustrates his wide-ranging interest and artistic eye, with subjects including British military personnel and their families, as well as local people. As his skill improved, he was able to include larger landscape and architectural photographs. While in Burma (Myanmar), he took pictures of many of the splendid buildings in Prome (Pyay) and Rangoon.

Surgeon John McCosh, Bengal Medical Establishment, India, 1852.jpg
Surgeon John McCosh, Bengal Medical Establishment, India, 1852. From an album of 310 photographs, 1848-1853. NAM.

NAM Accession Number: NAM. 1962-04-3-294

Location: National Army Museum, Study collection.

Object URL: [1]

National Army Museum description:

McCosh (1805-1885), who joined the Bengal Army as an assistant surgeon in 1831, was one of the first war photographers. He employed the calotype process, the first practicable negative and positive process on paper, patented by William Henry Fox Talbot in 1841. McCosh had an eventful life: the ship on which he was sailing to Tasmania on sick leave was wrecked and he was the only passenger to survive. He saw active service on the North East Frontier of India against the Kols 1832-1833, in Gwalior 1843-1844 (for which he was awarded the Maharajpoor Star to be seen in the portrait), the 2nd Sikh War (1848-1849) and the 2nd Burma War (1852-1853). McCosh also published a number of books and poems before and after his retirement on 31 January 1856.