Dates

• Existence: 1860 - 1920

Biography

W.L.H. Skeen and Co. was a commercial photographic company active in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka).

William Skeen, father of W.L.H. Skeen, was the first official Ceylon Government Printer from 1849 to 1872. He was the author of 'The Knuckles and other poems' and 'Adam's peak'. He purchased the photographic business of J. Parting for his son in 1860.

The business originally traded under the name of S. Slinn and Co. and was managed by S. Slinn Skeen and John Edward Wilshaw. The firm had premises in the Fort district, Colombo. S. Slinn Skeen had arrived in Ceylon aboard the 'Colombo' in September 1860. He left for England aboard the 'Huguenot' in November 1861. In 1863 the company advertised a new studio at 1 Baille Street, Fort. For many years the firm also sold stationery, jewellery, watches and other items. The firm changed its name to W.L.H. Skeen and Co. by the late 1860s.

William Louis Henry Skeen trained at the London School of Photography. He arrived in Ceylon circa 1862 and married Elizabeth. They had three children: Ellen Margaret, Sydney Louis Ernest, Harold Lewis Spencer. Elizabeth died January 20th 1933 at Clacton-on-Sea.

The company had various studios. It advertised studios at: 40 Chatham Street 1866-68; Cinnamon Gardens 1869; 41 Chatham Street 1871; 14 Chatham Street 1874; 41 Chatham Street 1876-78; 4 Chatham Street 1885-86; 41 Chatham Street 1889; 4 Chatham Street 1891-92; circa 1892 onwards 41 Chatham Street. By 1891 the firm had a Kandy branch at 21 Ward Street. W.L.H. Skeen lived in Kandy and his wife ran a millinery business there.

F.A.E. Skeen arrived in Ceylon in 1878 to assist his brother W.L.H. Skeen. He remained with the company until 1887, when he went to Burma (now Myanmar) to found the firm of Watts and Skeen. F.A.E. Skeen returned to Ceylon after the death of W.L.H. Skeen in 1903. The company changed its name to F. Skeen and Co. F.A.E. Skeen left Ceylon by 1914. After F.A.E. Skeen's departure, the business was managed by E. Koch. It was trading from Union Place in 1919. It ceased trading circa 1920. It's stock was probably taken over by Platé and Co.

During its existence W.L.H. Skeen and Co was the premier firm in Ceylon, producing an extensive documentation of agriculture and industry (particularly tea and spices), landscapes and ethnic groups. The company recorded the construction of the Ceylon railways from the 1860s to the 1890s and the Colombo Breakwater in the 1880s. The company published J.W.W. Birch's photographs of Polonnaruwa circa 1876. The company were photographers by appointment to the Duke of Edinburgh during the tour of 1870 and photographed elephant kraals (also the kraals of 1882). The firm issued a series of Indian views (Bombay, Jaipur, Delhi, Agra, Ramisseram, Darjeeling (now Darjiling), etc.) circa 1890. It also exhibited at major international exhibitions from the 1870s to the 1900s.

Other family members:

Henry Skeen was the brother of William Skeen. He served as Assistant Government Printer from July to December 1852. He died December 26th 1852 and was buried at Galle Face Cemetery, Colombo.

George Justin Athelstan Skeen was born in 1852. He was the Ceylon Government Printer from 1881 to 1906, He was the author of 'Guide to Colombo' (2nd edition, Colombo 1889) and 'A guide to Kandy' (Colombo 1903).

Publications:

The Royal visit to Ceylon, April 1901 (1901), Colombo. [Album with letterpress and 58 platinum prints by Skeen, Platé and Colombo Apothecaries Company].

Skeen, William (1868), 'The Knuckles, and other poems'. With photographic illustrations by W.L.H. Skeen. Together with The Christmas tree by R. Skeen. Colombo: W.L.H. Skeen.

Skeen, William (1870), 'Adam's peak: legendary, traditional, and historic notices of the Samanala and Srî-páda, with a descriptive account of the pilgrim's route from Colombo, to the sacred foot-print'. Colombo: W.L.H. Skeen and Co.

Sources:

Ceylon almanacs.

Ceylon Blue Books.

Ceylon Civil Lists.

Falconer, John (1981), 'Nineteenth century photography in Ceylon'. 'The Photographic Collector'. Summer 1981, pp.39-54.

Wright, Arnold (ed.) (1907), 'Twentieth century impressions of Ceylon: its history, people, commerce, industries, and resources', London: Lloyd's Greater Britain Publishing Co.

Found in 40 Collections and/or Records:

 Fonds

Colombo Harbour completed 1885 [Construction of South-West Breakwater, Colombo Harbour, 1875-1885]

 Fonds

Reference Code: GBR/0115/RCS/Y303C

Scope and Contents An album containing mounted albumen prints by William Louis Henry Skeen and Company, measuring approximately 260 x 210 mm with captions pasted onto the page beneath the prints. The album is inscribed: 'Sir W.C. Sergeaunt K.C.M.G. with Sir John Coode's compliments'. The album documents the construction of the breakwater from the laying of the foundation stone to its completion in 1885.Construction of the Colombo Breakwater. The creation of an artificial harbour to increase the...

Dates: 1875 - 1885

Conditions Governing Access: 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).

Found in: Cambridge University Library

 Fonds

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

 Fonds

Reference Code: GBR/0115/RCS/Y303F

Scope and Contents 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...

Dates: 1886

Conditions Governing Access: 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).

Found in: Cambridge University Library