Mary Evans Collection: Pump Park Photography
Pump Park specialises in nineteenth century travel photographs from around the world, with an emphasis on prints from Asia; in particular India, Japan and China.
It’s a fascinating survey of the scenery and traditions of other lands at a time when public curiosity about overseas culture was at its height, as was an appetite to see and own photographs of exotic places.
Over the years, Pump Park have amassed a quite exceptional collection of photographs including many that are delicately hand-coloured.
From Buddhist monks in Burma to Japanese geishas; bustling Bombay streets, a frozen Niagara Falls, Sumo wrestlers or South African diamond mines, they are an atmospheric record of a nineteenth century that was both globally diverse and noticeably undeveloped.
Also covered are traditional crafts and trades, religion and beliefs, national dress and customs as well as theatre and entertainment.
To see a selection of the 3,300 Pump Park Mary Evans have online click here.