Impey Family Photograph Albums

Detail of a pattern

At A Glance

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  • Creator

    Impey, Eugene Clutterbuck Captain
  • Dates

    circa 1850-1889
  • Physical Description

    304 Albumen prints (approximate count)
  • Collection ID

    FSA.A1993.09
  • EDAN ID

    ead_collection:sova-fsa-a1993-09
  • Scope and Contents

    Two personal photo albums of Captain Eugene Clutterbuck Impey containing images of his brother, Captain Henry Dixon and other unidentified photographers (some initialled in the negative) of the late 1850's and early 1860's, and British colonials. There are also images of various Indian peoples, a still life of game birds, a panoramic view supposedly of ruins after the Mutiny, and architectural images.
  • Biographical / Historical

    E.C. Impey, an important figure in the early photography of India, was one of a number of British soldiers to take up that medium in the 1850's-1860's. Impey, whose grandfather, Sir Elijah Impey and his wife Mary were highly important patrons of Indian painting, was also related to 19th century photographers Sir John Herschel and Julia Margaret Cameron. Sir Elijah Impey was an extremly influencial justice at the onset of British colonization of India. Despite his presence in India for only just over eight years, he was appointed to preside in Sudder Dewannee Adawlet, the court of appeals for civil causes from the provincial council, and also acted as the chief justice of the state of Bengals. In addition, he was responsible for prepring the Code of Rules,Orders and Regulation (1781) , an important colonial cornerstone of the British contribution to the codification of Indian law.
  • Local Numbers

    FSA A1993.09
  • Photographer

    Impey, Eugene Clutterbuck Captain
  • Creator

    Scowen & Co.
    Woodbury & Page
  • Place

    India -- description and travel
    Sri Lanka
    Java
    India -- West Bengal -- Calcutta (Kolkata)
  • Custodial History

    Purchased from Ken and Jenny Johnson Nineteenth Century Photographs, Essex, U.K., 01/13/93. Originally received was also a salt print by photographer Frederick Fiebig, which was then transfered to Mr. Leon Jacobson (father of Ken Jacobson) of Fort Myers, Florida on 12/06/93.
  • Archival Repository

    Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives
  • Type

    Collection descriptions
    Archival materials
    Albumen prints
    Salted paper prints
  • Citation

    Impey Family Photograph Albums, FSA.A1993.09. National Museum of Asian Art Archives. Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C.
  • Arrangement

    prints (predominantly housed in 2 photo albums) : organized in 3 boxes (2.5 linear ft.)
  • Genre/Form

    Salted paper prints -- 1840-1860
    Albumen prints
  • Restrictions

    Collection is open for research.

Repository Contact

Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives
National Museum of Asian Art Archives
Washington, D.C. 20013
AVRreference@si.edu