Siam through the lens of John Thomson - RGS Exhibition

H.M. King Mongkut, King Rama IV (r. 1851-1868)

H.M. King Mongkut, King Rama IV (r. 1851-1868)

Young Boy

Mom Rachothai (Mom Rajawongse Kratai Issarangkul) (1820-1867)

Monk holding a fan

Monks and their assistants

Monk and Young Prince outside the Chapel of the Emerald Buddha

Panorama: the Chao Phraya River and Rattanakosin island, from Wat Arun

Modern Panorama of the Chao Phraya and Bangkok

The Elephant Corral, Ayutthaya

Phra Chom Klao Bridge, Phetchaburi

Oarsman

Thomson with Two Manchu Soldiers, Xiamen, Fujian 1871

H.M. King Mongkut, King Rama IV (r.1851-1868)

Royal barge procession for the Kathin ceremony

The Crown Prince of Siam, 1865

Prince Chulalongkorn, two of his brothers and attendants

Portrait of a princess (possibly one of the daughters of Prince Nilarat, Prince of Alongkot Kitpreecha)

Presenting Lenten Robes at Wat Phra Chetupon

Tonsurate ceremony of Crown Prince Chulalongkorn 5th January, 1866

Mount Krailas ceremony, 3rd day of Tonsurate Ceremony

Verandah outside the Chapel of the Emerald Buddha

The Golden Mount

Looking north over Thonburi from Wat Arun Rachaworaram

Young Siamese man with a Samurai sword

The King’s White Elephant

Khon and Lakhon Troupe

Two Siamese dancers

Presented by Brand Retail

Siam through the lens of John Thomson - RGS Exhibition

Siam through the lens of John Thomson

28 Apr 2025 - 20 May 2025, 10.00am-5.00pm

Royal Geographical Society (with IBG)

Royal Geographical Society (with IBG)

1 Kensington Gore, London SW7 2AR

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h.m. king mongkut, king rama iv (r. 1851-1868) one of three portraits of the king taken outside the aphinao niwet throne hall within the grand palace on monday, 6th october 1865. his majesty wears the uniform of a french field marshal and the sash of the legion d’honneur and star first class, a decoration presented to him on behalf of emperor napoleon iii by admiral bonard, commander of the fleet in indochina, in the ananta samakom throne hall on 10th may 1863. on the table are various items of regalia in gold and enamel, namely an oval box adorned with gemstones upon a pedestal tray, a gold ewer on a pedestal tray, a spittoon and a wool cap embroidered with gold thread in the french style. there is also a small telescope, perhaps in reference to the king’s interest in western science and astronomy.

H.M. King Mongkut, King Rama IV (r. 1851-1868) young boy sometimes thomson’s simplest pictures are the most arresting. the young boy, only recently identified as sudjai bunnag (later phraya rajanuprabhandhu), sits in front of a wooden partition and wears a chinese-style shirt with a slight pattern and plain silk jonggraben, knotted at the waist and secured by a belt with a metal buckle. the photograph has rarely been published in literature in thai on john thomson’s work. nevertheless, his intense gaze makes this one of thomson’s finest portraits.

Young Boy monk holding a fan grand palace, bangkokthe fabric of the monk’s robe is woven with a diamond pattern, which, popular at the beginning of the bangkok period, is no longer in use. monks’ robes consist of three pieces of cloth. the inner garments (not visible), are the antarvāsa (thai: ungsa) and uttarāsaṅga (thai: sabong), while the outer garment, saṃghāti (thai: jiworn), is wrapped around on top. here, one shoulder is exposed, as is common when inside the temple, but during ceremonies both shoulders are usually covered. fans are part of a buddhist monk’s paraphernalia and are held in front of the face during chanting. this particular fan is of a type presented by the king to those who had passed levels 3-9 of buddhist examinations equivalent to a university degree.

Monk holding a fan monks and their assistants this photograph is unusual in that two images have been combined into one, with several of figures appearing twice. similarly, the background appears twice, albeit at a slightly different level. the senior monk is shown standing only on the right. a younger monk stands on his right and three young disciples flank the monks on either side. among these are three young chinese boys, their pigtails pinned on the top of their heads. four of them look after the monk’s paraphernalia such as a rush mat, a fan, a teapot and a box. on the left, the younger monk from the right-hand side is kneeling, while a different monk sits in the chair. all six of the boys from the right-hand side are present (one partially covered by tape at the far left) plus a further one.

Monks and their assistants h.m. king mongkut, king rama iv (r. 1851-1868) this photograph of the king was exhibited at the exposition universelle in paris in 1867. the king wears coronation robes and the maha kathin crown, dating to the reign of king rama i. in his left hand he holds a walking stick. on his feet are curved gold and enamel slippers. he is seated on the kong throne, which is carved with garudas holding nagas (visible on the left-hand side of the throne). on the right-hand table are various items of ceremonial regalia.

H.M. King Mongkut, King Rama IV (r. 1851-1868) mom rachothai (mom rajawongse kratai issarangkul) (1820-1867) his father, prince cha-um, had presented m. r. kratai as an attendant to prince mongkut when the latter was still a monk. he became a close companion and participated in english classes, becoming very fluent. when prince mongkut ascended the throne, m. r. kratai received the title of mom rachothai. in 1857, he was sent as interpreter on the ambassadorial mission of phraya montri suriyawongse (chum bunnag) to queen victoria. on his return he wrote an account in verse of his travels and in 1861 sold the rights to dr. dan beach bradley for the sum of 400 baht (a large amount at the time). this was the first sale of publishing rights in thailand.

Mom Rachothai (Mom Rajawongse Kratai Issarangkul) (1820-1867) monk and young prince outside the chapel of the emerald buddha a buddhist monk sits on a marble and granite table, while next to him stands hrh prince krisdapinihan (later hrh prince nares varariddhi, 1855-1923). the monk holds a circular fan (talapat) of the type used when chanting on royal holy days and at royal funeral ceremonies. beside him are a spittoon and a ewer with drinking water. the young prince is in full regalia similar to that worn for the top-knot-cutting ceremony. the stone carving in the background is a miniature triple-entrance chinese doorway.

Monk and Young Prince outside the Chapel of the Emerald Buddha panorama: the chao phraya river and rattanakosin island, from wat arun these three photographs show rattanakosin island and the chao phraya river as they were 150 years ago. they may be compared with the current-day photograph. in the thomson images, traditional wooden and floating houses can be seen lining the river bank, beginning at the grand palace and running south as far as pak klong talad. in front of what today is a land-based fruit and vegetable market are a multitude of small boats plying their trade.

Panorama: the Chao Phraya River and Rattanakosin island, from Wat Arun modern panorama of the chao phraya and bangkok

Modern Panorama of the Chao Phraya and Bangkok the elephant corral, ayutthaya this is where wild elephants were corralled in front of the king and other spectators. it fell into a ruinous state after the sack of the former capital in 1767, but was renovated during the reign of king rama i and again during the reigns of king rama iii and king rama v.the corralling of wild elephants took place annually, but was also often organized for foreign dignatories. during the reign of king rama v, an elephant corral was organised for the visit of tsar nicholas ii in 1891, when he was still tsarevitchthe outer layer was for all the elephants before selection. those who exhibited noble characteristics as listed in the gaja shastra (elephant treatise) were then taken to the inner enclosure created by hundreds of teak pillars. in the centre was a shrine to the elephant god, ganesha.thomson journeyed up river to ayutthaya by steamboat together with three companions.

The Elephant Corral, Ayutthaya phra chom klao bridge, phetchaburi thomson travelled to phetchaburi by boat together with the rev. dan beach bradley. their route took them via klong bangkok yai and klong bang luang, the tha chin river and the mae klong river to samut songkhram. from there they continued on horseback to visit phra nakhon khiri palace, with six people being needed to carry the photographic equipment.the bridge crossing the phetchaburi river was built at the beginning of king mongkut’s reign. at first it was known as hua chang bridge (elephant head’s bridge), but later the local populace changed the name to honour the king, who was particularly fond of phetchaburi and liked to come and stay in his hilltop palace.

Phra Chom Klao Bridge, Phetchaburi oarsman the background of sugar cane and a thatched dwelling suggest the photograph was taken during thomson’s trip to phetchaburi.during the reign of king mongkut waterborne transport was very popular and many new canals were dug. settlements grew up along waterways with markets developing where canals entered the main river. the major canals dug by chinese labourers in this reign were padung krung kasem, hualampong, maha sawat and pasi charoen. these were able to take steamboats carrying rice and served as a means of public transport.

Oarsman thomson with two manchu soldiers, xiamen, fujian 1871 it is rare for thomson to appear in a photo, this was in amoy, or xiamen, southern china. taken by one of his assistants, the focus was the two manchu soldiers. we see thomson in full victorian attire including coat and hat.

Thomson with Two Manchu Soldiers, Xiamen, Fujian 1871 h.m. king mongkut, king rama iv (r.1851-1868) for this photograph thomson has removed the hanging cloth seen in the first two photographs of the king. the photographer realised that he was extremely fortunate to be given such privileged access to the king and described their first encounter most vividly: “his majesty entered through a massive gateway, and i must confess that i felt much impressed by his appearance, as i had never been in the presence of an anointed sovereign before. he stood about five feet eight inches, and his figure was erect and commanding; but an expression of severe gravity was settled on his face.”

H.M. King Mongkut, King Rama IV (r.1851-1868) royal barge procession for the kathin ceremony for the water procession to distribute lenten robes to royally-sponsored temples, king mongkut used the ananta nagara barge shown here. the name refers to the king of the nagas (water serpents), who in southeast asian mythology controls the waters. two glass plates were needed to photograph the whole boat, moored in a canal after the ceremony. the oarsmen demonstrate the ‘bird in flight’ stroke and all look at the camera. behind the barge are floating houses of woven bamboo and pandanus thatch, typical of mid-19th-century siam.this barge, constructed in the reign of king mongkut, is conserved today in the royal barges museum, bangkok. at 42.95 metres long x 2.95 metres wide, it requires 54 oarsmen, with two steersmen at the back and two at the front. the entire boat is carved with gilded nagas and adorned with glass mosaic.

Royal barge procession for the Kathin ceremony the crown prince of siam, 1865 this arresting portrait of hrh prince chulalongkorn, later king chulalongkorn (1853-1910) was taken in the courtyard area in front of the aphinao niwet compound within the grand palace, bangkok.the prince wears traditional thai dress with silk jonggraben and a fitted silk jacket, together with anklets and embroidered slippers. he stands next to the round table thomson used for the portraits of his father. the only items of regalia are the conical gold teapot and tray and the betel nut box adorned with diamonds on a gold pedestal tray in european style. behind him a wooden stand reaching up to his neck, in order to help limit any vibration during the long exposure time, is just visible.

The Crown Prince of Siam, 1865 prince chulalongkorn, two of his brothers and attendants using the same location as for the portraits of the king, thomson has chosen a wider angle to reveal the large tamarind tree under which the three princes sit at a low table. to their left stands louis thomas leonowens (1856-1919), wearing a white sailor suit. he was the son of anna, their governess, who in 1870 wrote a colourful account of her life in bangkok from 1862-67 in the english governess at the siamese court.in the background may be seen one of the porches of the ananta samakom throne hall with columns in european style. the building in the background on the left with various pages in front, watching thomson at work, was the royal banqueting hall.

Prince Chulalongkorn, two of his brothers and attendants portrait of a princess (possibly one of the daughters of prince nilarat, prince of alongkot kitpreecha) as a picture of hrh prince alongkot by john thomson was taken in the same location, the setting is likely a corner of the prince’s wooden thai-style palace. it was prince alongkot who took thomson to his audience and photographic session with the king.the young girl wears traditional dress with a gold belt, breast chains, a necklace and many bracelets and anklets. she has rings on all eight fingers and still has her hair in a topknot. on the terrace of the house a miniature potted garden has been created using blue and white chinese jardinières among which two small european-style sculptures are visible. such arrangements were extremely popular at this time.

Portrait of a princess (possibly one of the daughters of Prince Nilarat, Prince of Alongkot Kitpreecha) presenting lenten robes at wat phra chetupon king mongkut is shown arriving at wat phra chetupon (the temple of the reclining buddha, wat pho) to present lenten robes after a land procession from the grand palace. the king is seated on the phuttan kanjanasinghad throne, carried on two poles as a palanquin, and wears the maha kathin crown and a gold-embroidered gown. two war scythes used in elephant battles are affixed on either side of the throne, as well as a special spittoon. he holds the sword of victory in his left hand. an attendant holds a parasol over his head and another, out of focus, is waiting inside for when he descends at the white platform.when the procession arrived at the eastern gate, the king commanded it to wait so that thomson could take his photograph. a few of the attendants turn to stare at the camera.

Presenting Lenten Robes at Wat Phra Chetupon tonsurate ceremony of crown prince chulalongkorn 5th january, 1866 tonsurate ceremonies were a coming-of-age rite in which the topknot of hair worn by the sons and daughters of the king was cut. the ceremony was regarded as the most auspicious ritual undergone by royal children as it signalled the passage from childhood to adulthood. this elaborate ceremony took place over three days in and around the dusit maha prasat throne hall. the king wears full regalia with a gold embroidered gown and crown. hrh prince chulalongkorn is seated on the puttarn thong palanquin and is dressed in the regalia of a royal prince. some of his half brothers and sisters watch the proceedings from the balcony.

Tonsurate ceremony of Crown Prince Chulalongkorn 5th January, 1866 mount krailas ceremony, 3rd day of tonsurate ceremony 6th january, 1866. grand palace, bangkok.this photograph shows all three venues associated with the tonsurate ceremony. in the middle background is the dusit maha prasat throne hall, built in 1789 during the reign of king rama i. in front, partly obscured by the tree, is the aporn phimok prasat.in the foreground and to the left, is mount krailas, an elaborate construction representing the abode of shiva, the supreme god in the brahmanic tradition. once the prince had undergone a ritual bath, a senior prince in full regalia representing shiva descended from the mandapa to receive him and take him to the summit, where he bestowed a blessing before returning him to the earthly realm.although prince chulalongkorn is not present in the photograph, everything is ready with the officials waiting by the entrance to mount krailas.

Mount Krailas ceremony, 3rd day of Tonsurate Ceremony verandah outside the chapel of the emerald buddha the chapel housing the emerald buddha image was built in the reign of king rama i (1782-1810), the founder of bangkok. situated within the walls of the grand palace compound, it is a masterpiece of siamese architecture and design. the central entrance on this north wall was reserved for the king and the royal family. the exterior wall is covered with low relief stucco, gilded and inlaid with glass mosaic. the sidewalls of the deep porch have gilded chinese-style guardians standing on lions, while the door panels, inlaid with mother of pearl, portray mythological beasts from the himavamsa forest. chinese porcelain with a design of flowers and birds has been used for the risers on the steps, while granite stools were imported as ballast in junks during the reign of king rama iii (1824-1851) when maritime trade with china was at its height.

Verandah outside the Chapel of the Emerald Buddha the golden mount the construction of this temple was ordered by king rama iii, who wanted to copy the golden mount in ayutthaya. he also ordered the digging of klong mahanak around the mount so that bangkokians could celebrate the loy kratong festival. however, building was halted when the foundations proved inadequate.in the fourth reign, work was restarted but the design was changed to reinforce the massive base, two circular staircases were added, and a bell-shaped stupa was designed for the top. from the bottom of the base to the top of the spire is 63.6 metres. the diameter of the base is 330 metres. when thomson took his photograph, the chedi was under construction.in the foreground is klong mahanak with klong saen saeb on the left. these canals formed part of an important communication artery and, as a result, this spot became a busy trading hub, particularly for agricultural produce.

The Golden Mount looking north over thonburi from wat arun rachaworaram wat arun with its iconic prang (central spire) is today one of the best-known symbols of bangkok. it was built in the reign of king rama ii on the west bank of the river, the thonburi side. this part of the compound was photographed from the central prang looking north.in the right foreground is the finial of one of the directional mandapas and behind it the accompanying vihara, with, to the left, a pavilion for listening to sermons. in the middle ground and the centre of the photograph is the entrance porch topped with a crown finial added during the third reign and used by the king when he came to present lenten robes. in the background in the centre surrounded by large trees is the ubosot and prang of wat rakhang and the roofs of wat kreua wan. at the time this area was filled with fruit orchards belonging to the rear palace (the relatives of the sister of king rama i).

Looking north over Thonburi from Wat Arun Rachaworaram young siamese man with a samurai sword verandah of the emerald buddha temple, bangkok.the young man wears jonggraben of mudmee silk, probably woven in cambodia, and a simple white shirt. his hair is in the mahad-thai style fashionable at that time and he holds a samurai-style sword.the rosewood side table is inlaid with mother-of-pearl and covered with a baize cloth. on the table, the wool cap, embroidered with the emblem of a crown, a sunburst and garlands, suggests the man is a palace official. next to the cap is a small gold and enamelled bencharong porcelain spittoon, a small cylindrical tea pot on a silver tray, and a silver pedestal tray with a betel leaf holder and three square silver boxes with large lion handles, crafted by shanghainese silversmiths. the pole used to support and stablilise the man’s head (necessary for the long exposure) is just visible at his neck.

Young Siamese man with a Samurai sword the king’s white elephant outside the grand palace, bangkokwhite elephants are very rare and have been highly revered in siam. kings who possessed many white elephants were considered particularly meritorious and powerful. based on its costume and mahouts, this elephant must be one of the 12 white elephants belonging to king mongkut. before receiving special regalia, elephants underwent a presentation ceremony. on his head is a brocade headband with a net of crystal beads covering his neck. a white yak tassle with a gold lotus-shaped finial hangs down in front of his ears. each tusk has three gold bangles inlaid with rubies. a rectangular brocade cloth edged with gold thread covers his back. the ropes around his chest, under his stomach and around the back are covered with twisted brocade cloth. the mounted mahout wears a conical cap with flaps. both wear a dark blue jacket edged with gold brocade and baggy trousers. one is training the elephant to kneel using an elephant goad with a hook (an ankusa). in front of the elephant are his attendants, one with a seven-tiered parasol, also part of the regalia for white elephants

The King’s White Elephant khon and lakhon troupe performances of khon (masked dance drama) and lakhon (plays) were an integral part of siamese court life, with performances featuring in many ceremonies and festivals.this group, combining both, was likelyy staged just for thomson, as usually they do not appear together. there are a diverse range of costumes and masks and a traditional five-piece orchestra. of the 26 people in the photograph, many are probably children as they are unusually small. male characters were often played by women dressed accordingly.the six khon performers seem to be dressed for the ramakien dance drama, although the scene is not identifiable. the ramakien, derived from the indian ramayana epic, tells how phra ram and phra lak must rescue sita, phra ram’s wife, from tosakanth, the evil giant king and his army, who live on the island of lanka.in front, the bare-chested musicians play, from left to right, a two-sided drum, a large gong circle, a double timpani, a gong and a soprano bamboo xylophone.

Khon and Lakhon Troupe two siamese dancers in the past this photograph was believed to show lao dancers because of their unusual costumes, but it was probably photographed on thomson’s trip to phetchaburi.both dancers wear extremely long metal nails with very thin tips, not found in other dance forms. the male figure is played by a woman, wearing a headdress of fine workmanship similar to those from the court workshops. the wide collar is also unusual. the metal belt buckle is in malay style. the frontal pleat is embroidered with metallic thread and sequins, and at the top are two side flaps similar to those on adorned buddha images. the silk jonggraben with flower pattern is worn over a thin pair of trousers. plain silver bracelets are worn around the ankles.the female dancer has an elaborate flame-like headdress of fine quality, worn slightly slanted and towards the front of her head rather than on the crown, a fashion typical of the ayutthaya and early bangkok periods.

Two Siamese dancers