Janus: Plumbago in Ceylon [i.e. Sri Lanka], c.1886

RCS contains:
<-- See earlier
Y303A	Faviell Collection of Ceylon [i.e. Sri Lanka] Railway views, 1867
Y303B	Ceylon [i.e. Sri Lanka] Views
Y303C	Colombo Harbour completed 1885 [Construction of South-West Breakwater, Colombo Harbour, 1875-1885]
Y303D	The Knuckles (Colombo, 1868)
Y303E	Photograph collection of John Abercromby Alexander
Y303F	Plumbago in Ceylon [i.e. Sri Lanka], c.1886
Y303G	Views in Ceylon [i.e. Sri Lanka], 1890s
Y303H	Arrival of Sir Edward Stubbs in Ceylon [i.e. Sri Lanka], December 1933
Y303I	Holbrook Tea Estate, Ceylon [i.e. Sri Lanka]
Y303J	The Ceylon War Council, 1942
Y303K	Photographs of Ceylon [i.e. Sri Lanka], (?)1950s
See later -->

More information

Please feel free to contact the repository.

Plumbago in Ceylon [i.e. Sri Lanka], c.1886

Title	Plumbago in Ceylon [i.e. Sri Lanka], c.1886
Reference	GBR/0115/Y303F
Creator	W L H Skeen and Co
Covering Dates	circa 1886
Extent and Medium	4 images; Good condition.
Repository	Cambridge University Library: Royal Commonwealth Society Library

Content and context

Collection of loose albumen prints mounted on card, measuring approximately 185 x 130 mm, uncaptioned.

The prints are accompanied by an off-print from The Ceylon Observer of 16 January 1866 describing W.A. Fernando's exhibits at the Colonial and Indian Exhibition of that year. These are probably the prints that were on view during the exhibition. W.A. Fernando (d. 1901), a Singhalese pioneer of the plumbago industry, set up as a merchant in this commodity in 1854; as well as trading in Plumbago, his firm owned a couple of mines, the principal ones being at Hikgaha, Goluwanmulla and Himbutamulle.

Access and Use

Please cite as Cambridge University Library: Royal Commonwealth Society Library, Plumbago in Ceylon [i.e. Sri Lanka], c.1886, Y303F

Further information

For a more detailed biographical note on Fernando see: Wright, Arnold (1907), 'Twentieth century impressions of Ceylon', London: Lloyd's Greater Britain Publishing Co., p. 618.

For a note on the plumbago industry in Ceylon see Y303E.

Indexed

This collection level description was entered by SG using information from the original typescript catalogue.

This collection is available on microfiche: South Asia, fiche number 96.

Index Terms

Asia

Sri Lanka

W L H Skeen and Co

RCS/Y303F contains:

[A plumbago mine]. 132 x 182 mm.
Good condition..

circa 1886

[Plumbago specimens]. 223 x 92 mm. Showing a tray of plumbago, quartz and iron pyrites, presumably on display at the 1886 exhibition and described in the Ceylon Observer: 'As striking and beautiful contrasts to the dark plumbago ore, the white quartz and the brown mica, there are glittering and gold-like specimens of iron pyrites, traces of copper occasionally glorifying the golden tints with 'peacock green''.
Good condition, apart from slight fading..

circa 1886

[Sorting plumbago]. 188 x 132 mm.
Good condition..

circa 1886

[Specimens of plumbago]. 175 x 139 mm. Showing specimens of various types of plumbago with, in the centre, large lumps of the mineral modelled into the shape of a dagoba.
Good condition..

circa 1886