Dyaks, Wild Mountains Tribes of Sumatra and Borneo

Art Historical Context

In 1865, pioneering photographer John Thomson captured the enigmatic world of the Dyaks—indigenous mountain tribes of Sumatra and Borneo—in this striking trio of albumen silver prints. A Scottish adventurer and one of the first photojournalists, Thomson ventured into Southeast Asia during the height of European colonial exploration, documenting remote cultures with a keen ethnographic eye. These images offer a rare early glimpse into Dayak life, portraying their traditional attire and rugged environments amid British imperial expansion in the region. Crafted from glass negatives using the wet collodion process, the prints showcase the albumen medium's hallmark: rich, warm tones and exquisite detail in a compact format (ranging from 5 13/16 × 4 3/16 in. to 6 13/16 × 5 1/8 in.). This 19th-century technique, popular for its clarity and portability, allowed Thomson to produce portable records of vanishing traditions, bridging art and anthropology. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Gilman Collection, these photographs underscore photography's emerging role in cultural preservation, inviting visitors to ponder the Dayaks' resilience and the colonial lens through which they were viewed. A window to a wilder era!

About the Artist

John Thomson · 1837–1921

John Thomson (1837–1921), a pioneering Scottish photographer, was born on 14 June 1837 in Edinburgh as the eighth of nine children to William Thomson, a tobacco spinner and trader, and Isabella Newlands.) After schooling in the early 1850s, he apprenticed with a local optical and scientific instrument manufacturer, where he mastered the principles of photography, completing his training around 185...