IDNO

P.96946.WIL

Description

Five Tibetan women gathered around a number of pots and pans set over fires between two tents, of which one is probably the kitchen tent. Five men, including some the Williamsons’ servants, are standing beside the tents, and on the ground are packs of supplies and horse? blankets?. Both tents appear to be square with appliqued decoration attached to the roofs.
In the background are a group of boatsmen and their ku-dru (corracles) awaiting to transport a group of travellers and their pack horses [See N.103629.WIL and P.96947.WIL]. In the distance is a road on the opposite shore leading to trusses for an uncompleted bridge, with high hills behind.

On Cech’s list describing prints:
“(19-57 where taken en route for Lhasa.)
56a/b/c. “Scenes at Tri-sam, 8 miles from Lhasa 14.8.33”
See gi: Tri-sam
Showing a variety of travellers with tents and equipment cooking and churning tea. Chushul was the site of one of the reception parties sent to welcome the Williamsons by the Tibetan government. MPOW: 91.” [printed text]
For more information see Cech’s list.

Place

C Asia; Tibet; near Lhasa; Trisam

Cultural Affliation

Named Person

Photographer

Williamson, Frederick

Collector / Expedition

Date

14 August 1933

Collection Name

Williamson Collection

Source

Williamson, Margaret

Format

Print Black & White

Primary Documentation

Other Information

Publication: The ferry place is mentioned in Williamson, Margaret, 1987. Memoirs of a Political Officer’s Wife (Wisdom Publication, London), p. 93:
“We moved on the Trisam ferry, where we found a fine Tibetan tent pitched and chang prepared for us. There should have been a bridge there but it had been swept away by floods the month before. While we paused for rest and refreshment, the transport animals were unloaded and sent swimming across the river. Later, having taken photographs, we followed in yak-skin boats.” [JD 13/5/2008]

Place: Trisam is located approximately 8 miles from Lhasa where the Tolung River where it meets the Kyichu. The site is now the location of the first iron bridge in Tibet that was constructed between 1936 and 1938. Hugh Richardson noted “Trisam sampa = Trisam bridge; iron bridge over the Tolung river where it meets the Kyichu. Tsarong and a monk plus Jigmey Taring built it." [Hugh Richardson in conversation with Roger Croston, detailed in H. Staunton undated Related Documents File, PRM Manuscript Collections] [Jocelyne Dudding 12/5/2008]

Context: The Ku-Dru or Kowa of Tibet is very similar to the corracle. “Each craft is made of about four yak-skins sewn together with thongs and stretched over a willow frame steered by a paddle at the rear.” [Source: Cech’s notes, Jocelyne Dudding 12/5/2008]

Transcription: The transcription of this album by Mark Turin and Sara Shneiderman was carried out with reference to Krystina Cech’s catalogue list alone. Alex Nadin has since revised their cataloguing by systematically matching their records to the images. Margaret Williamson’s handwritten captions for photographs have now been transcribed into the Inscription field, and Cech’s descriptions appear in the Description field. Correct entries for Place, Named Person and Other Nos. have also been entered by Alex Nadin. [Sudeshna Guha 29/10/2002]

This catalogue record has been updated with the support of the Getty Grant Program Two. [Jocelyne Dudding 9/5/2008]