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306 Joachim K. Bautze Chapter 24 Émile Gsell (1838–79) and Early Photographs of Angkor Joachim K. Bautze Abstract The earliest photographs of Angkor in Cambodia were taken by the Scottish photographer and geographer , John Thomson (1837–1921). Starting from Bangkok on 27 January 1866, “to photograph the ruined temples” (Thomson 1875: 118) Thomson journeyed to Angkor, “in consequence” as he himself admitted , “of the interest excited in me by reading the late M. Mouhot’s1 ‘Travels in Indo-China, Cambodia, and Laos,’2 and other works to which I had access” (Thomson 1867: 7). Thomson states that he used a “photographic apparatus and chemicals for the wet collodion process” (1867: 7). On the way, at “BanOng -ta Krong” (1875: 128), about ten days before reaching his destination, Thomson had a “sharp attack of jungle fever” (1867: 7–8; 1875: 128). Were it not for his fellow-traveler, H.G. Kennedy from H.B.M. consular service, Thomson would “have met the fate of M. Mouhot, and perished in the jungle” (1867: 8). The precise dates of Thomson’s stay at Angkor or, in the words of Thomson, Nakhon, are not known. The same must be said about the duration of his stay: “several days” (1875: 150). On 31 January, he arrived at Paknam Kabin (1875: 124) and cannot have reached Angkor before March, since he “spent over a month in lumbering across the country” (1875: 128). Thomson must have left Angkor on 26 March at the latest, as on that day he “landed at Campong Luang” (1875: 155). Apparently, Thomson was not the only European researcher at the site: “When I attempted to photograph this object [1867: plate XV; 1875: 151], a tribe of black apes, wearing white beards, came hooting along the branches of the overhanging trees, swinging and shaking the boughs, so as to render my success impossible. A party of French sailors, who were assisting the late Captain de Lagrée3 in his researches into the Cambodian ruins, came up opportunely , and sent a volley among my mischievous opponents; whereupon they disappeared […]” (1875: 152). Thomson also met French officers, who were “awaiting the return of M. de Lagrée from Siamrap” (1875: 152). It seems that on this occasion Thomson had shown his photographs of Angkor to Ernest Doudart de Lagrée (Ghesquière 2001: 224). Ernest Doudart de Lagrée, apparently deeply impressed by Thomson’s views of the old monuments, asked Emile Gsell, enlisted with the French army since 1858 and staying at Saigon, if he would be prepared to accompany the Commission d’exploration du Mékong as their photographer. Gsell, who had learned the art of photography to serve military purposes, agreed (Garnier 1871: 6). Accordingly, he was released from military duties to photograph the monuments. The French party reached Angkor, riding on elephants, on 24 June 1866 (Garnier 1871: 10) and left it, by elephant, on 1 July 1866 (Garnier 1871: 32). Marie Joseph François Garnier,4 who accompanied the expedition, mentions that (by 1870) the photographs of Angkor of “M. Thompson [sic]” were known, though only through the woodcut illustrations in the French edition of James Fergusson’s (1808–86) “A history of Architecture in all Countries, from the earliest Times to the present Day” (1871: 22). That Fergusson, “that most distinguished authority on architecture” had Thomson’s photographs at his disposal is confirmed by Thomson himself (1875: 140). Introduction Gsell must have founded his photographic atelier by October 1866, to become the first professional photographer in Saigon. At the instigations of Louis-Marie Joseph Delaporte (1842–1925), who already 306 Connecting Empires hi res combin306 306 8/24/2012 9:49:06 PM 307 Émile Gsell (1838–79) and Early Photographs of Angkor accompanied the 1866 expedition to Angkor, Gsell returned to Angkor again as a photographer during the second half of 1873. In Delaporte’s report, the “Mission d’exploration des monuments Khmers” started on 23 July 1873 (1880: 17). Although at least 14 illustrations were made after Gsell’s photographs taken at Angkor,5 the main text of Delaporte’s report mentions the photographer only once: “[…] il faut étudier attentivement au verre grossissant les vues photographiques placées au musée et provenant pour la plupart de la riche collection de M. Gsell de Saïgon, collection dans laquelle nous avons puisé plusieurs fois pour l’illustration de ce livre” (1880: 249). Gsell produced two albums; the “Ruins of Angkor” and “The mores, customs, and types...

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