Scowen & Co.

Scowen & Co. was a photographic studio or firm active during the late 19th century, with documented output tracing specifically to the period between 1875 and 1880. The firm specialized in documentary and travel photography, focusing almost exclusively on the landscapes, architecture, and inhabitants of Ceylon (present-day Sri Lanka).

Their work is characterized by detailed studies of significant local sites and ethnographic portraits common to 19th-century photography, providing historical documentation of colonial-era life and geography. Notable works represented in museum holdings include the architectural studies Buddhist Temple, Kalani and Entrance to the Nata Dewale Grounds, Kandy, the botanical view A Creeper in the Peradeniya Gardens, Ceylon, and the portrait Ceylonese Woman.

A total of seven Scowen & Co. prints are preserved in museum collections, most notably held by the Cleveland Museum of Art. As these historical photographs are long past copyright, the images reside in the public domain, allowing institutions to make high-quality prints available for study. Today, many researchers access these important Scowen & Co. prints as downloadable artwork, furthering the availability of these historically significant free art prints.