Beauty fused with documentary value

Saturday, 14 June 2014 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

It’s about another of my proud possessions in the book rack – the 1938 ‘The Ceylon Observer Pictorial’. I have acquired it from my father who was an English teacher in the colonial days with an obvious taste for quality books. Possibly this was one of the earliest – if not the first – issue of the Pictorial – a well-illustrated special annual publication by Lake House, the owners of the Observer. The Foreword indicates this: “The Pictorial aims at expressing aspects of the Island’s atmosphere and activities not always obvious to the casual visitor or fully appreciated by the permanent resident.” It then refers to at least two “unique achievements”. One is the reproduction in colours, for the first time, of some of the famous frescoes at Sigiriya, Dambulla and Polonnaruwa. The other is the inclusion of four rare pictures of jungle life by a photographer “who has hitherto consented to the reproduction of his work”.

The photographer is Aloy H. Perera. The distinctive feature of these photographs has been described as the combination of a deep love of the jungle, infinite patience and great photographic skill. The Foreword says that technical excellence and artistic merit have not been the only considerations in selecting the examples of what modern camera-craft can accomplish in Ceylon. “The main object has been to male this pictorial a record in which beauty is fused with documentary value.” The contents are summed up thus: “Here you will find much that is beautiful and significant in Ceylon life – men and women, the daily round, the Perahera, serene landscapes, the spirit of the past, the realities of the present and something of the promise of the future, phrases, as it were, from a song of Ceylon – things that the people of the country should cherish.” The top names in the photographic scene at the time – legends of yesteryear are – all there in this extraordinary publication. Lionel Wendt dominates accounting for eleven photo features while B.P. Weerawardena, C. Thorpe, Geo A Koch, ManilIllangakoon, Wilfrid Perera, M.K. Nadarajah, Eric Swan and B.G. Thornley are among the others. Text is minimal, the accent is on pictures. Printed on art paper the quality, even after 76 years is perfect. Dr. Andreas Nell has written on ‘Some ancient mural paintings’ to go with the colour pictures. Two line verses accompany the ‘Trees’ by S.N.R. Brckenridge which features ‘the grace of ARECA,’ ‘the vigilant TRAVELLER’S PALM,’ ‘the transplanted PALMYRAH,’ ‘the call of the TEMPLE TREE,’ ‘the exclusive young MARGOSA,’ ‘the naked RED COTTON TREE,’ ‘the extravagant ROYAL PALM’ and ‘the surging PINE.’ A rare poem by George Keyt on Vesak is used alongside Lionel Wendt’s montage of Vesak lanterns and ‘pahan’. The poem reads: In the moon of Vesak quiet vehicles of memory The Birth of Kindness in commemoration The calm lanterns like moons the quiet breeze Illumined whisper of a world in homage The cover carries a picture of the famous dancer Nittawel Gunaya by Lionel Wendt with a two-page spread of pictures by him on how the dancer gets ready for a performance. Most of the pictures are presented thematically. ‘Recording Eye,’ for example, features six photographs by distinguished miniaturists – J.R.G. Bantock, F.E. Joliffe, P.J.C. Durrant, R. West and Alexander Smith. ‘Sea coast driver’ features 10 pages of Wendt’s coverage of life in a fishing village. My attempt to trace the Editor of the Annual failed. No mention is made of him or the designer. An old Lake House employee may be able to tell us. The price is marked on the cover page as ‘Rs. 2’ – obviously a princely sum in 1938!