View of the Mosque of Nutter Owleah, Tiruchirappalli, India

Linnaeus Tripe was a British photographer known for his pioneering work in the field of photography. He was born in Devonport, England on 14 April 1822. The son of a naval officer, Tripe spent much of his childhood moving around the world with his family. In 1838, Tripe joined the army of the East India Company as a clerk and was stationed in India for the next 24 years. During his time in India, he developed an interest in photography and began to experiment with the medium. In 1854 he was appointed the official photographer for a British mission to Burma (now Myanmar). Tripe's photographs of Burma are considered some of the earliest and finest examples of architectural and landscape photography. Using large-format cameras, he produced detailed, carefully composed images that captured the intricate details of the country's temples and pagodas. After returning to England in 1857, Tripe continued to work as a photographer but struggled to make a living from his art. He eventually gave up photography and worked as a civil servant until he retired in 1895. Tripe's photographs were largely forgotten until the 1980s, when they were rediscovered and recognised for their historical and artistic importance. Today his work is held in high esteem by collectors and museums around the world. Linnaeus Tripe died on 2 October 1902 in Devonport, England, at the age of 80.