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

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.

Unless restrictions apply, the collection is open for consultation by researchers using the Manuscripts Reading Room at Cambridge University Library. For further details on conditions governing access please contact mss@lib.cam.ac.uk. Information about opening hours and obtaining a Cambridge University Library reader's ticket is available from the Library's website (www.lib.cam.ac.uk).

Includes index.

A catalogue of the collection can be found on ArchiveSearch.

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

Good condition.

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

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.

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

W L H Skeen and Co