Tibet: in the earliest photographs by Russian travelers 1900-1901

Book Details

• Publisher: ADITYA PRAKASHAN Indological Publishers & Booksellers

• Language: English

• Edition: New Delhi

• Year: 2018

• ISBN-13: 9788192450209

• ISBN-10: 8192450201

• Subject(s): Geography, Fine Arts, Buddhism

About the Book

This book presents a unique collection of 50 photographs captured by two Russian travelers, Gombozhab Tsybikov, a Buryat, and Ovshe Norzunov, a Kalmuck, between 1890 and 1901 at the request of the Imperial Russian Geographical Society, St. Petersburg. These images are considered the earliest photographic representations of Lhasa and other iconic religious sites in Tibet, then a forbidden land. The volume includes an introduction by Alexander Andreyev, recounting the thrilling travels of Tsybikov and Norzunov and detailing the history of field photography used by Russian explorers in Central Asia. Following the introduction are the travelers’ own narratives, rich in descriptions of Tibetan traditional society and religious life during the final years of its hermit-like existence. Essential for historians, geographers, art enthusiasts, and those interested in Tibetan Buddhism, this work bridges visual documentation with historical storytelling.