Royal Commonwealth Society : Views in Ootacamund [i.e. Udagamandalam] and the Nilgiris

Penn, Albert Thomas Watson, 1849-1924, photographer

Royal Commonwealth Society

<p style='text-align: justify;'>A collection consisting of a panorama (5 joined prints) and loose prints, measuring approximately 280 x 210 mm. The prints are captioned (probably in Penn's hand) on the reverse. Prints 1 and 2 are also rubberstamped 'A.T.W. Penn, Reliance, Ootacamund'. This refers to the Reliance Auction and Commission Agency run by Penn in the early years of the twentieth century.</p><p style='text-align: justify;'>Albert Thomas Watson Penn was born at Street, Wells on 30th March 1849. His first appearance in India appears to have been in around 1875, in which year he was advertising in Thacker's Directory as a commercial photographer at Ootacamund (also known as Udagamandalam). He lived and had a studio at Cranley Cottage from 1880. In 1911 his business was styled 'Ootacamund Photo Establishment'. Apart from visits to Europe he continued in Ootacamund until circa 1913, in later years also running the Reliance Auction and Commission Agency and the Farrington (or Farington) Hotel. He is not recorded in later directories although he evidently remained in India after his retirement. He died of cerebral apoplexy at Coonor on 19th October 1924 and was buried there the following day in Tiger Hill Cemetery, All Saints Church (Madras burials: IOR/N/2/136 f. 212).</p>