George Planté

George Planté’s Ruins of Ankgor Postcard

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The Golden Age of postcards began with early postcard illustrations of the Eiffel Tower in 1889. Thus, when French military arrived in French colonial Vietnam, then known as Indochina, a market emerged for pictorial imagery of the region – including Buddhist temples.

The caption here give the description: “Souvenir of the Ruins of ANGKOR.” The publisher, George Planté, had operated a photography studio in Saigon and started selling postcards by 1905.

In addition to the large central Buddha statue, several other Buddhist icons are placed on the altar. I have been unable to identify which area of Angkor this photograph depicts.

The design on the back suggests this card was published in 1905 (the date 1906 is inscribed on the front). The front also bears the affixed stamp – this was typically done so the card could be placed in an album and still display the cancelled stamp.

It was likely postcards such as this were printed in Europe using the most up-to-date photo-mechanical printing techniques and then sent back to the colonial publishers for resale.

The Buddhas in the West Material Archive is a digital scholarship project that catalogues artifacts depicting Buddhist material culture for Western audiences. It’s comprised of prints, photos, and an assortment of ephemera and other objects. For a brief introduction to this archive, visit the main Buddhas in the West project page.

For Related Buddhas in the West Posts Featuring Gautama, the historical Buddha:

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George Planté’s Hall of a Thousand Buddhas Postcard

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George Planté came to Vietnam as a member of the colonial French government, but by 1893 had turned to photography and opened a studio in Saigon. He soon recognized the desire for postcards among the overseas French military and was selling the inexpensive souvenirs by 1905.

The undivided back design of this French card suggests it was published in 1905 or before. Around this time, Planté seems to have acquired the old stock of Aurélien Pestel, thus the photograph on the front may have been taken by Pestel.

The caption gives the location as Angkor Wat, but this is the interior of the Preah Poan, known commonly as the Hall of a Thousand Buddhas. The presence of the Buddhist statues clearly shows how the original temple devoted to Viṣṇu was taken over by Buddhists.

The statues that once filled the open cruciform hall have all been removed in the course of restoration and preservation.

Photographs from the turn of the century capture how the hall once looked filled with Buddhist icons. Google Arts & Culture has a 360-degree view of the hall today, see here: https://tinyurl.com/yckkbumz

The Buddhas in the West Material Archive is a digital scholarship project that catalogues artifacts depicting Buddhist material culture for Western audiences. It’s comprised of prints, photos, and an assortment of ephemera and other objects. For a brief introduction to this archive, visit the main Buddhas in the West project page.

For Related Buddhas in the West Posts Featuring Angkor Wat:

For the Most Recent Buddhas in the West Posts: