Monday’s Photography Inspiration – Captain Linnaeus Tripe

Captain Linnaeus Tripe  was a British photographer and between 1854 and 1860, Tripe produced an unprecedented series of photographs documenting the landscape and cultural artefacts of south India and Burma. As an officer in the British army, he traveled with diplomatic expeditions, creating a visual inventory of celebrated archaeological sites and monuments, religious and secular buildings—some now destroyed—as well as geological formations and scenic vistas. His training as a military surveyor, where the choice of viewpoint and careful attention to visual details were essential, gave his photographs a striking aesthetic rigour that distinguishes them from the picturesque travel views characteristic of the period.

In March 1857 he became official photographer to the Madras government, taking photographs of objects shown at the Madras exhibition and portraits of Madras residents. In 1858, he took photographs of subjects of architectural or antiquarian interest, and pictures useful from a practical, engineering perspective. He exhibited 50 photographs from this tour in the annual exhibition of the Photographic Society of Madras in 1859. In March 1862 a series of his photographs were exhibited by Professor Archer at a meeting of the Photographic Society showing ‘Poodoocotah, Madura, Ruakotta, Seringham, the Elliot Marbles, &c., &c.’ 

Following the Indian Rebellion, control of India went to the British and in June 1859 Tripe was ordered not to undertake any new work. At the end of that year he was told to close the business and sell off the equipment.

Linnaeus Tripe (British, Devonport (Plymouth Dock) 1822–1902 Devonport) Pugahm Myo. Gauda-palen Pagoda., 1855 Lightly albumenized Salted paper print; image: 25.3 × 34.2 cm (9 15/16 × 13 7/16 in.) page size: 45.6 × 58 cm (17 15/16 × 22 13/16 in.) The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, (LT.BL.1) http://www.metmuseum.org/Collections/search-the-collections/643437

Linnaeus Tripe (British, Devonport (Plymouth Dock) 1822–1902 Devonport) Seeringham. [Great Pagoda,] Munduppum (four pillared) inside gateway., 1858 Lightly albumenized Salted paper print; image: 27.1 × 35.1 cm (10 11/16 × 13 13/16 in.) page size: 43.7 × 55.9 cm (17 3/16 × 22 in.) The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, (LT.BL.3) http://www.metmuseum.org/Collections/search-the-collections/643443

Linnaeus Tripe (British, Devonport (Plymouth Dock) 1822–1902 Devonport) Between Chittumputty and Teramboor. Elephant rock end view., January–February 1858 Lightly albumenized Salted paper print; image: 23.8 × 36.8 cm (9 3/8 × 14 1/2 in.) page size: 43.3 × 56.1 cm (17 1/16 × 22 1/16 in.) The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, (LT.BL.4) http://www.metmuseum.org/Collections/search-the-collections/643445

Linnaeus Tripe (British, Devonport (Plymouth Dock) 1822–1902 Devonport) Madura. Pillars in the recessed portico in the roya gopurum with the base of one of the four sculptured monoliths., January–March 1858 Lightly albumenized Salted paper print; image: 35.6 × 28.1 cm (14 × 11 1/16 in.) page size: 43.4 × 56 cm (17 1/16 × 22 1/16 in.) The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, (LT.BL.5) http://www.metmuseum.org/Collections/search-the-collections/643446

Linnaeus Tripe (British, Devonport (Plymouth Dock) 1822–1902 Devonport) Madura. West front of the roya gopurum., January–March 1858 Lightly albumenized Salted paper print; image: 26 × 36.6 cm (10 1/4 × 14 7/16 in.) page size: 43.4 × 56 cm (17 1/16 × 22 1/16 in.) The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, (LT.BL.6) http://www.metmuseum.org/Collections/search-the-collections/643447

Linnaeus Tripe (British, Devonport (Plymouth Dock) 1822–1902 Devonport) Madura. Trimul Naik’s choultry, side verandah from west., January–March 1858 Lightly albumenized Salted paper print; image: 35.1 × 28.2 cm (13 13/16 × 11 1/8 in.) page size: 56 × 43.5 cm (22 1/16 × 17 1/8 in.) The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, (LT.BL.7) http://www.metmuseum.org/Collections/search-the-collections/643448

Linnaeus Tripe (British, Devonport (Plymouth Dock) 1822–1902 Devonport) Madura. Trimul Naik’s choultry centre nave from west end., January–March 1858 Lightly albumenized Salted paper print; image: 22.5 × 33.1 cm (8 7/8 × 13 1/16 in.) page size: 43.6 × 56 cm (17 3/16 × 22 1/16 in.) The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, (LT.BL.8) http://www.metmuseum.org/Collections/search-the-collections/643449

Linnaeus Tripe (British, Devonport (Plymouth Dock) 1822–1902 Devonport) Madura. The Blackburn Testimonial., January–March 1858 Lightly albumenized Salted paper print; image: 25.3 × 35.1 cm (9 15/16 × 13 13/16 in.) page size: 43.6 × 56 cm (17 3/16 × 22 1/16 in.) The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, (LT.BL.9) http://www.metmuseum.org/Collections/search-the-collections/643451

Linnaeus Tripe (British, Devonport (Plymouth Dock) 1822–1902 Devonport) Trimium. Fort, interior hold, with the main street taken from the top of the gateway., 1858 Lightly albumenized Salted paper print; image: 24.4 × 37.8 cm (9 5/8 × 14 7/8 in.) page size: 43.4 × 56 cm (17 1/16 × 22 1/16 in.) The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, (LT.BL.10) http://www.metmuseum.org/Collections/search-the-collections/643452

Linnaeus Tripe (British, Devonport (Plymouth Dock) 1822–1902 Devonport) Tanjore. Great pagoda, figure sculpted on the side of the [inner] gopurum., March–April 1858 Lightly albumenized Salted paper print; image: 34.3 × 29.4 cm (13 1/2 × 11 9/16 in.) page size: 56 × 43.7 cm (22 1/16 × 17 3/16 in.) The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, (LT.BL.12) http://www.metmuseum.org/Collections/search-the-collections/643454

Linnaeus Tripe (British, Devonport (Plymouth Dock) 1822–1902 Devonport) Tanjore. Wrought iron gun on a cavalier in the fort., March–April 1858 Lightly albumenized Salted paper print; image: 26.1 × 36.1 cm (10 1/4 × 14 3/16 in.) page size: 43.8 × 56.1 cm (17 1/4 × 22 1/16 in.) The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, (LT.BL.14) http://www.metmuseum.org/Collections/search-the-collections/643472

Linnaeus Tripe (British, Devonport (Plymouth Dock) 1822–1902 Devonport) Amerapoora. Colossal Statue of Gautama close to the N. end of the [wooden] bridge., September–October 1855 Salted paper print; image: 24.7 x 33.3 cm (9 3/4 x 13 1/8 in.) mount: 58.2 x 45.4 cm (22 15/16 x 17 7/8 in.) The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Collection of Charles Isaacs and Carol Nigro (LT.CI.2) http://www.metmuseum.org/Collections/search-the-collections/643434

Linnaeus Tripe (British, Devonport (Plymouth Dock) 1822–1902 Devonport) Royacottah. Eedgah and Tomb., December 1857–January 1858 Salted paper print; image: 10.81 × 15.06 cm (4 1/4 × 5 15/16 in.) The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Private Collection, Washington (LT.EL.1) http://www.metmuseum.org/Collections/search-the-collections/643440

Linnaeus Tripe (British, Devonport (Plymouth Dock) 1822–1902 Devonport) Rangoon. Signal Pagoda., November 1855 Salted paper print; image: 26 × 34.6 cm (10 1/4 × 13 5/8 in.) mount: 45.6 × 58.3 cm (17 15/16 × 22 15/16 in.) mat: 50.8 × 61 cm (20 × 24 in.) The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Private Collection, Courtesy Hans P. Kraus Jr. (LT.HK.3) http://www.metmuseum.org/Collections/search-the-collections/643439

Linnaeus Tripe (British, Devonport (Plymouth Dock) 1822–1902 Devonport) Lighthouse Breakwater., 1852/54 or 1861/62 Albumen print; image: 26.8 × 34.2 cm (10 9/16 × 13 7/16 in.) sheet: 28.2 × 35 cm (11 1/8 × 13 3/4 in.) The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Janet Dewan (LT.JD.1) http://www.metmuseum.org/Collections/search-the-collections/643467

Linnaeus Tripe (British, Devonport (Plymouth Dock) 1822–1902 Devonport) Pugahm Myo. Carved Doorway [in courtyard of Shwe Zeegong Pagoda]., August 20–24, 1855, or October 23, 1855 Salted paper print; image: 32.5 × 26.9 cm (12 13/16 × 10 9/16 in.) The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Diana and Mallory Walker Fund (LT.NGA.7) http://www.metmuseum.org/Collections/search-the-collections/643458

Linnaeus Tripe (British, Devonport (Plymouth Dock) 1822–1902 Devonport) Trichinopoly. Musjid of Nutter Owleah, from the head of the lane leading to it., 1858 Salted paper print; image: 27.2 × 36.6 cm (10 11/16 × 14 7/16 in.) mount: 45.2 × 57.4 cm (17 13/16 × 22 5/8 in.) The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, (LT.VA.1) http://www.metmuseum.org/Collections/search-the-collections/643432