Four Cartes de Visite of Singapore Interest.
Singapore. (Circa 1873- 1890). Stock ID #170918 From the collection of the late Arthur Hacker MBE, noted collector, artist, historian, author and creator of an endearing emblem of 1970s Hong Kong - the litterbug Lap Sap Chung. When referring to this item please quote stockid 170918.
Four sepia cartes de visite:
One from the studio of Henry Schuren 9.4 x 5.8cm mounted on card 10.4 x 5.8cm with Schuren's device, "Negatives Kept" and the name of the lithographer J Hopff & Co, Batavia, printed in teal on the verso;
Three from the studio of G.R. Lambert 9.3 x 5.8cm (image size) mounted on thick card with rounded corners 10.5 x 6.4cm, G.R. Lambert Singapore lithographed in burgundy at the foot with his decorative monogram on the versos, one (portrait cameo of an infant) inscribed in ink on the verso in an early hand "Fred. C. Banister to his Godfather".
Images are in very good condition, the earlier Schuren portrait faded, mounts slightly toned.
A remarkable group relating to Singapore. Established photographic studios became more widespread in Singapore in the late 1870s with two noted exemplars being represented here. Henry Schuren worked for Woodbury and Page in Batavia before settling in Singapore in 1874, and was soon after appointed official photographer to King of Siam, settling there in 1876. His successor, Gustave Richard Lambert was a professional from Berlin who advertised his services in Singapore in 1867 but was not active there until 1877. During 1879-1880, Lambert was in Bangkok taking over Henry Schuren's stock and his position as official photographer to the King of Siam. It has been noted that Lambert and his studios became the “official” photographers of South East Asia: they recorded major royal and political visits, government buildings, plus social and sporting events, along with formal portraits of ministers and merchants.
These cartes de visite of late Victorian Europeans include an enigmatic image of an androgynous subject resplendent in Victorian dress, a small baby almost engulfed by the velvet furnishing propping it up and a cameo of a heavily bearded man with tightly coiffed side curls.
(Also see Gretchen Liu, "Singapore: A Pictorial History 1819-2000" Archipelago Press, 2000)
Price: $1,250.00 AU