photographic print
- Museum number
- As,Portman,B20.1
- Title
- Series: Typical heads of the Andamanese
- Description
-
Photograph, portrait, head and shoulders; from an album of twenty-five: Lipaia, man of the "Aka Bojigiab" tribe, chief of "Lekera Lunta", Middle Andaman; age about fifty years; wearing necklace.
- Production date
- 1890s
- Dimensions
-
Height: 12 centimetres
-
Width: 9.20 centimetres
- $Inscriptions
-
-
- Curator's comments
- M.V. Portman and W. Molesworth collection of photographs.
Maurice Vidal Portman (1861-1935) was Assistant Superintendent, Andaman Civil Service 1886-1897; presented a large collection of Andaman artefacts to the British Museum; author: Notes on the Languages of the South Andaman group of tribes (Calcutta, 1898), History of our relations with the Andamanese (2vols, Calcutta, 1899)
William Molesworth was a surgeon-captain in the Indian Medical Service 1893-94.
Together, Portman and Molesworth surveyed the physical characteristics of the Andamanese and generated statistical norms from the mass of evidence they gathered.
The albums and notebooks are titled:
AS/B20/1- 25 Typical heads of the Andamanese
AS/B21/1- 46 Typical heads of the Andamanese
AS/B22/1- 25 Head of the Andamanese
AS/B23/1- 48 Adze and bow making
AS/B24/1- 41 Bow and arrow making
AS/B25/1- 50 Bow and arrow making
AS/B26/1- 63 Rope making and hut building
AS/B27/1- 74 Miscellaneous
AS/B28/1- 50 Painting and tattooing
AS/B29/1- 30 Full face and profile views male Andamanese
AS/B30/1- 20 Full face and profile views male Andamanese.
MS notebooks 1-4 Measurements and medical details, male series,
South Andaman group of tribes.
- Location
- Not on display
- Condition
- Although mounted on acidic card, the photo is in good condition.
- Acquisition notes
- Copyright: British Museum
- Department
- Africa, Oceania and the Americas
- Registration number
- As,Portman,B20.1
