Finding aid for Views of Sri Lankan archaeological sites by Scowen & Co. and Joseph Lawton 97.R.51
Beth Ann Guynn
Special Collections
2018
1200 Getty Center Drive, Suite 1100
Los Angeles 90049-1688
Business Number: (310) 440-7390
Fax Number: (310) 440-7780
reference@getty.edu
Contributing Institution:
Special Collections
Title: Views of Sri Lankan archaeological sites by Scowen & Co. and Joseph Lawton
Creator:
Scowen & Co
Identifier/Call Number: 97.R.51
Physical Description:
1.5 Linear Feet
(1 box: 24 albumen prints)
Date (inclusive): 1870-1893
Physical Location: Request access to the physical materials described in this inventory through the
catalog record for this collection.
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access policy .
Abstract: The collection comprises views of structures and sculptures in Sri Lanka from the sites of
Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa. The twelve photographs of Anuradhapura are by Charles Thomas Scowen. The photographs of Polonnaruwa
were likely all taken
by Joseph Lawton. The photographs were taken shortly after the rediscovery of these important Buddhist monuments, but before
official excavations were
begun by the Archaeological Department of Ceylon in the 1890s.
Language of Material: Collection material is in English.
Publication Rights
Preferred Citation
Views of Sri Lankan archaeological sites by Scowen & Co. and Joseph Lawton, 1870-1893, The Getty Research Institute, Los Angeles,
Accession no.
97.R.51.
http://hdl.handle.net/10020/cifa97r51
Biographical / Historical
Charles T. Scowen (1852-1948) arrived in Sri Lanka as an assistant to R. Edley, a commission agent, in 1873. In 1876 he established
his first
photographic studio, Scowen & Co., in Kandy, and by 1885 he had opened a studio in Colombo. Scowen & Co., which was especially
known for its
flower and plant studies, was active until the mid-1890s when Colombo Apothecaries Co. acquired its entire negative stock.
Scowen, who appears to have
become a proprietary tea planter for a time in Sri Lanka, died in Sudbury, England.
The British photographer, Joseph Lawton, who was initially employed in Kandy, Sri Lanka, by the trading company H. C. Bryde
and Sons, established his
own photographic studio in that town in the mid-1860s. In 1870 he was commissioned by the Archaeological Committee, which
had been established by the
Governor of Ceylon in 1868, to photograph the main archaeological sites in Sri Lanka. After working at the sites of Anuradhapura,
Mihintale,
Polonnaruwa, and Sigiriya during 1870 and 1871, where he was often actively involved in clearing the jungle so that the sites
could be photographed and
excavated, Lawton fell ill. He returned to England to recover, but died there in 1872. Lawton produced two sets of photographs
from his photographic
campaigns for the Archaeological Committee, one of which was retained in Sri Lanka and the other of which was sent to the
Colonial Office in London, and
is now in the British National Archives. Lawton's studio, under the direction of his wife Helen, continued selling his photographs
to the tourist
market. The studio was taken over by R. Charter in 1885 and Lawton's original negatives were scattered among many buyers and
are now considered to be
lost.
Access
Open for use by qualified researchers.
Digitized Material
The collection was digitized by the repository in 2018 and the images are available online:
http://hdl.handle.net/10020/97r51
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Acquired in 1997.
Processing Information
The collection was processed in 2018 by Beth Ann Guynn who also wrote the finding aid.
Scope and Content of Collection
The collection comprises views of structures and sculptures in Sri Lanka from the sites of Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa dating
from the 10th to 13th
centuries AD, with some components dating to the 2nd century BC. The photographs of Anuradhapura were all taken by Charles
Thomas Scowen or one of his
studio operatives. Structures depicted at Anuradhapura include the Issurumuniya temple, Lowamahapaya (the Brazen Palace) and
Ruwanweliseya, the Buddha's
relic shrine. Also shown are many sculptural elements and Buddha statues of the Abhayagiri Dagoba as well as the site's bas-relief
sandakada pahanas or
moon-stones.
The photographs of Polonnaruwa were likely all taken by Joseph Lawton. At Polonnaruwa sites include the Gal Vihara temple,
Dalada Maligawa, Abhayagiri
(Northern) monastery, and the Thivanka Pilimage (Image House) as well as various sculptural elements such as statues of lions,
the Buddha, and the Gal
Pota, or Book of Stone.
Two photographs are unidentified as to either site or photgrapher and include a view of a house or temple built under a large
oblong rock and a
colossal standing Buddha statue.
The photographs in the collection were taken shortly after the rediscovery of these important Buddhist monuments, but before
official excavations were
begun by the Archaeological Department of Ceylon in the 1890s. The sites have been extensively excavated, modified, and restored
since the photographs
were taken.
The 12 Scowen photographs have printed captions in the negative. Eleven of these also bear the photographer's printed name:
Scowen & Co. Three
photographs have both a printed name and "Scowen" written in the negative, and one photograph has only "Scowen" written in
the negative.
Ten photographs by or attributed to Joseph Lawton have pencil captions on their versos with numbers apparently correlating
to plate numbers in one of
Lawton's publications. One photograph has "Lawton" written in the negative on the trunk of a felled tree.
Arrangement
The collection is arranged in a single series: Series I. Views of Sri Lankan archaeological sites by Scowen & Co. and Joseph
Lawton, 1870-1893.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Stūpas -- Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka -- Description and travel
Photographs, Original
Albumen prints -- 19th century -- Sri Lanka
Buddhist sculpture -- Sri Lanka
Monuments -- Sri Lanka
Anuradhapura (Sri Lanka) -- Antiquities
Alahana Parivena Site (Polonnaruwa, Sri Lanka) -- Antiquities
Lawton, Joseph, -1872
Ruwanweliseya (Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka)
Views of Sri Lankan archaeological sites by Scowen & Co. and Joseph Lawton, Series I.
1870-1893
Views of Sri Lankan archaeological sites by Scowen & Co. and Joseph Lawton (digitized version)
Physical Description: 24 Photographic Prints
Arrangement
Arranged alphabetically by site.
Anuradhapura,
1876-1893
Scope and Contents
All of the photographs of Anuradhapura are by Scowen & Co. Titles and photographer's credit are printed in the negative. Except
as noted,
photographer's credit reads: Scowen & Co.
box 1
Ruwanweli Dagoba, 182 Feet High, Anuradhapura 97.R.51-1
Scope and Contents
View of Ruwanweliseya, the Buddha's relic shrine. Photographer's credit in negative: Scowen & Co. Ceylon.
box 1
Ruins of the Brazen Palace...Anuradhapua [sic] 97.R.51-2
Scope and Contents
Caption continues:...consisting of 1600 granite pillars standing 12 feet / out of the ground and covering a space of 232 feet
square...
box 1
Isurumuniya, Anuradhapura 97.R.51-3
box 1
Stelæ at South Frontispiece of Abayagiri Dagoba, Anuradhapura 97.R.51-4
Scope and Contents
With Fabrik marke wet stamp on verso.
box 1
Stelæ at West Frontispiece of the Abhayagiri Dagoba, Anuradhapura 97.R.51-5
box 1
Wing Stone to the Steps of the Pavilion between Thuparama and Ruwanweli Dagobas, Anuradhapura 97.R.51-6
box 1
Wing Stone to Steps of Pavilion to West of Ruwanweli Dagoba, Anuradhapura 97.R.51-7
box 1
Carved Terminal to Wing Steps of Monastery, Anuradhapura 97.R.51-8
Scope and Contents
Signed in negative: Scowen.
box 1
Anuradhapura. Sculptured Moon-stone 97.R.51-9
box 1
Anuradhapura. Sculptured Moon-stone 97.R.51-10
Scope and Contents
The moonstone is at the bottom of some steps. The image is printed upside down.
box 1
Stone Figure of Buddha on Road Side near the Kuttam Pokuna, Anuradhapura 97.R.51-11
Scope and Contents
With Fabrik marke wet stamp on verso.
box 1
Wing Stone to Steps 97.R.51-12
Scope and Contents
Title from annotation on verso. Signed in negative: Scowen.
Polonnaruwa,
1870-1871
Scope and Contents
Titles are from annotations on the versos of the prints. The "P" numbers written on the versos apparently correspond to the
plate numbers for a
publication, portfolio or collection containing Lawton's images. See for example, a copy of Lawton's image of the the Gal
Pota held in the
Victoria and Albert Museum (museum number 82702), whose "P" number in the caption is the same as the print held in the present
collection:
collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O146350/polonnaruwa-the-gal-pota-stone-photograph-lawton-joseph/
Lawton, Joseph
Scope and Contents
Included here are images that have been verified by the cataloger as being by Lawton.
box 1
Newly Discovered Ruins to the North of the Gal-Wiháré, Polonnaruva 97.R.51-13
Scope and Contents
73p. View of the Thivanka Pilimage (Image House).
box 1
The Gal-Wiháré Rock Temple, Polonnaruva 97.R.51-14
Scope and Contents
64p. Gal Vihara façade with three Buddhas - sitting, standing, lying.
box 1
Gal-Wiháré Rock and Recumbent Figure of Buddha, 46 Ft. Long, Polonnaruva 97.R.51-15
Scope and Contents
65p. Gal Vihara. Fabrik marke wet stamp on verso.
box 1
The Daladá Máligáwa, Polonnaruva 97.R.51-16
Scope and Contents
18p. Assembled group of statuary.
box 1
The Gal-pota (Stone Book), Polonnaruva 97.R.51-17
Scope and Contents
Signed on fallen tree trunk, lower left side of image: Lawton.
The Gal Pota, or Book of Stone, in the form of a palm leaf book, lies just to the east of the Hatadage (Temple of the Tooth)
at Polonnaruwa.
The inscriptions on the stone list the achievements of King Nissankamalla (1187-1196).
box 1
Stone Inscribed Lion in the Audience Hall...Polunnaruva 97.R.51-18
Scope and Contents
8p. Inscription continues: 7 ft. long & 6 ft. 6 inches high.
Lawton, Joseph, attributed
Scope and Contents
Included here are photographs attributed to Lawton based on the annotations and "P" numbers on their versos, but which have
not otherwise been
verified by the cataloger.
box 1
The Abhayagiri-wiharé. Polonnaruva 97.R.51-19
box 1
The Dalada-Maligawa. Polonnaruva 97.R.51-20
Scope and Contents
17 p. This is possibly the Dalada-Maligawa at Anuradhapura.
box 1
[Collapsed Entrance Façade of a Temple] 97.R.51-21
box 1
The Jélā-Wanárána, Flight of Stone Steps 20 Ft. Wide, Polonnaruva, 97.R.51-22
Scope and Contents
57 p. Fabrik marke wet stamp on verso. Steps with a makara balustrade along one side and a naga stela at their base.
Location unidentified,
1870s?
box 1
Photographer unknown, Buddhist Temple 97.R.51-23
Scope and Contents
Numbered on verso: 1014. Depicts a temple or house built into a large oblong boulder.
box 1
Photographer unknown, Buddah [sic] 97.R.51-24
Scope and Contents
Also written on verso: Anadurapura or Polunnaruva. Depicts a colossal standing stone Buddha.