Informal Northern Thai Group Bulletin

Informal Northern Thai Group Bulletin August 2, 2013 1. MINUTES OF THE 363 rd INTG Meeting : 9 July 2013 : British and American Architecture in Chiang Mai : Conserving Historic Buildings by Asst. Prof. Vitul Lieorungruang, PhD. 2. AUGUST 2013 MEETING: AUGUST 13 (ALLIANCE). 3. PROPOSAL FOR A GUIDED EXHIBITION ON SATURDAY, AUGUST 17. 4. FUTURE INTG MEETINGS. 5. INTG CONTACTS : Convenor - Secretary - Website. 1. MINUTES OF THE 363 rd INTG Meeting : 9 July 2013 : British and American Architecture in Chiang Mai : Conserving Historic Buildings by Asst. Prof. Vitul Lieorungruang, PhD. 1.1. PRESENT : Karin Bode, Jame Bogle, Bonnie Brereton, Ken Dyer, Ken Kampe, Louis Gabaude, Rebecca Hall, Peter Holmshaw, Janet Illeni, Jin Lam, Roy Hudson, Nungruethai Sammano, Angela Srisomuangwathana, Tommy Steineman, Colin Stratford, Suriya Smutkupt, Ricky Ward, Rebecca Weldon, Ian White. A group of 19 at least. 1.2. The 363 rd Talk, Tuesday 9 July 2013: British and American Architecture in Chiang Mai : Conserving Historic Buildings. A Talk by Asst. Prof. Vitul Lieorungruang. [Notes by the Editor] Dr. Lieorungruang s research is dedicated to Architecture Conservation in Northern Thailand where there is a vast number of historic buildings. The main focus is on Traditional wooden and masonry structures. The state of conservation in Thailand is generally poor. Inappropriate methods and materials have been and are still used. In general, Western conservation process focuses on the physical or material aspects of the buildings, and generally overlooks the cultural aspects. Here, local communities are usually more concerned with the psychological and meritorious dimensions of the buildings rather than with the rules of structural and material building. Cultural background and knowledge of practices in Lanna architecture preservation provide directions for suitable conservation methods. Building materials, specific documentation, limitations, weaknesses and original bases of the buildings are investigated. The study includes also an examination of architectural structures, of typical forms of degradation, as well as suggestions for building treatment, restoration, security evaluation, repairing techniques, dimensioning of consolidation devices and other relevant considerations. In the end, the proper architectural conservation will be beneficial and save important heritage properties from demolition. There are two approaches in conservation in Chiang Mai: Western (European) architectural heritage conservation philosophy and Lanna conservation philosophy. According to Lanna customs, they believed here in Conserved Religious / Spiritual Value more than in Conserved Arts / Physical / Fabric Value and original method. 1

There are several types of classifications for historic buildings in Thailand: 1. The Fine Arts Department s lists: the declared and undeclared buildings according to the government gazette or National Heritage List; 2. The Religious Affairs Department's list of Religious places and buildings singled out for conservation; 3. The Association of Siamese Architect s historic building lists; 4. The local governmental historic buildings, Universities and Institutes and private collectors; 5. The privately-owned historic buildings. British and American historic buildings in Chiang Mai are mostly privately-owned historic buildings. There are many remnants of the British trader activities in Chiang Mai during The 7th Chao Luang of Chiang Mai, King Intra-wichayanon (1873-1897)1, for which we can recall some special events2: 1873: The Chiang Mai Treaty between British & Siam is signed following The Bowring Treaty in 1855 1874: The first Governor of Siam is appointed by Bangkok and arrives in Chiang Mai 1883: The first Foreign Court of Justice (in Siam) is established in Chiang Mai 1883: The British Consulate is established in Chiang Mai as well as The Scottish Church. 1885: Burma becomes a British colony. 1885: The Presbyterian Church of the USA establishes the Presbytery of "North Laos". 1889: The British Borneo Co. is established in Chiang Mai (at Ban s Compound). 1892: The Bombay Burma Corporation is established in Chiang Mai. 1889: The British build Khum Chao Burirat (ค มเจ าบ ร ร ตน ) for Chao Burirat Noi Maha In (เจ าบ ร ร ตน น อยมหาอ นทร )3. There are many architectural remnants of the American missionary activities in Chiang Mai during the 7th Chao Luang of Chiang Mai, King Intha Witchayanon (พระเจ าอ นทว ชยานนท ) (r. 1873-1897): Mission stations in Lampang (1885), Lamphun (1891), Phrae (1893), Nan (1895) and Chiang Rai (1897) American Architecture in Chiang Mai had its beginnings with the advent of the American Missions. Churches, Schools and Hospitals were established on the eastern bank of the Mae Nam Ping, outside of the ancient walled city. Although Americans arrived, for the most past, around 20-30 years after the first influx of English residents and were primarily concerned with religious activities, they played a major role in the Architectural development of the city. Main sites include: - Churches: Chiang Mai First Church the first wood structure church built by American missionaries in 1891; Prince Royal School Church, Chiang Mai; First Church of Christ, Chiang Rai, built in 1914. - Hospitals: McKean Leprosy Colony; McCormick Hospital Chiang Mai: construction started with four buildings, between 1920 1924; Vincent Wood Hospital, Lampang; Phrae Christian Hospital, Phrae; Overbrook Hospital, Chiang Rai. See a notice in Thai at: http://th.wikipedia.org/wiki/พระเจ าอ นทว ชยานนท Joel John Barlow in his "History of Lanna - 19th Century Teak Trade" provides a brief and easy to read résumé of this period at: http://www.chiangraiprovince.com/guide/index.php?page=p40_11 3 On this building, see a notice in Thai at http://th.wikipedia.org/wiki/ค มเจ าบ ร ร ตน _(มหาอ นทร ). Those who are not in Chiang Mai can get a too 1 2 quick glimpse of the building at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zopb5slg_as. 2

- Schools: Frenner Memorial School, currently Chiang Mai Christian School; Dara Academy, Chiang Mai; the Prince Royal's College, Chiang Mai; Vichanaree School: Kenneth McKenzie School, Lampang; Chiang Rai Vithayakhom School, Chiang Rai. In order to investigate and conserve historic building, surveys of methods for material changes are needed and a series of questions arise: How were previous conservation works done? How were managed the conservation works? What were their procedures? What went wrong? Which are now the concepts, philosophy, and guidelines for the conservation works? Are there any rules, regulations, charters? Which organizations get involved in the conservation? What are their main technical problems, e.g. rising damps? wood preservation? termites? etc. There are common problems for historic buildings in Lanna and building investigations have to be conducted to write Investigation reports for historic buildings and structures, Investigation reports for future use, Investigation reports for contract use, and Structural investigation reports. Many items must be taken into consideration: building materials, building system, building structure, building treatment. Furthermore, conserving the privately-owned historic buildings in Chiang Mai are more common than in other cities in Thailand because of a strong Lanna cultural preservation and tourism approach. As historic buildings, local museums, 'Boutique' hotels, spas, restaurants, temples & churches mean profit for the owners as well as for the city. The Former British Consulate in Chiang Mai Note: During the discussion which followed the talk, it was suggested that Dr. Vitul could perhaps lead a one-day visit of some main historical buildings in (and perhaps around) Chiang Mai to let us understand better both the architectural features of Northern Thailand Western architecture and the problems of conservation. A number of people in the audience were interested and the INTG will try to organize such a visit in next December or January on the basis of real expenses sharing (minibus(es), restaurant and eventual fees). Once we have figured out the details, we will send more information. Those familiar with Thai language can have a look at the website of the Lanna Architectural Center: http://www.lanna-arch.net/. Details on each province are given at http://www.lanna-arch.net/?cat=11, but unfortunately without pictures. 2. 13 AUGUST 2013, 7:30 PM AT THE ALLIANCE FRANÇAISE. 364TH MEETING: ILLUSTRATIONS OF THERAVADA BUDDHISM COSMOLOGY. A TALK BY JAMES E. BOGLE, ART HISTORIAN AND COLLECTOR. The Talk: The talk will offer a presentation and discussion of Theravada Budhism Cosmology through art. In particular, the heavens and hells, their great distances, structures and sizes will be shown using illustrations from artwork and manuscripts. The Speaker: James E. Bogle, an art history graduate of the School of Fine Arts, University of 3

Pennsylvania, began collecting Southeast Asian paintings and art in 1958. He is the author of Thai & Southeast Asian Painting: 18th Through 20th Century. In 2011 he donated 50 pieces of Southeast Asian paintings to the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore, Maryland. He is currently working on a book entitled: 'Theravada Cosmology and a Cosmology Manuscript'. Please read an interwiew of James E. Bogle in the joined document BOGLE-Interview-2013 which is borrowed from: http://agingandcreativity.blogspot.com/ 3. PROPOSAL FOR SATURDAY, AUGUST 17, 10:20 AM: A GUIDED EXHIBITION OF THE PHOTO EXHIBITION «ON THE BEATEN TRACK» OF ETHNIC MINORITIES. AN EXHIBITION INTRODUCED BY OLIVIER EVRARD. This is for now just a proposal because civil servants running the Chiang Mai University Art Museum do not want to open the Museum at night for us. So, we suggest that, if you are interested in a guided tour of the photography exhibition "On the Beaten Track. A half-century of photography among highlanders of Northern Thailand" by its two organizers, Olivier Evrard* and Prasit Leepreecha, please send a message (at <gabaudel@yahoo.com> saying that you want to come at the Art Museum of Chiang Mai University, on Saturday, August 17, at 10:20 am for the guided tour. You would pay the usual museum fee if any. If I get, say 10 positive answers at least, before August 13. On August 14, I will confirm either that the guided visit is cancelled, or that it is on and send a plan for you to get to the Museum (at the corner or Suthep and Nimmanhemin Roads). The Exhibition: The exhibition (from the 9th to the 25th August 2013) offers a glimpse on the photographic archives available at the Centre for Ethnic Studies and Development (CESD) of Chiang Mai University. This collection is unique in Thailand by its size (more than 60,000 images), its geographic and ethnographic focus (highland populations of the Northern regions) and its time span (the images cover the period between early 1950s and present). It owes its existence to the historical context of the development of anthropology in Northern Thailand as well as to the personal dedication of the researchers of the CESD and the financial and technical support they received from various institutions. Most of the written and visual archives from this period were kept in the premises of the Tribal Research Institute (TRI), which was established as the Tribal Research Centre in 1965 inside Chiang Mai University under the auspices of the Ministry of Interior. The TRI was dissolved in 2002 and its archives were moved to the Tribal Museum. In 2005, the CESD researchers started to digitize this collection in the framework of a collaborative project with an anthropologist of the Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD) in France. Together, they collected new images from the same period by accessing the private archives of several anthropologists and missionaries who had worked in Thailand and added those to the existing collection. Meanwhile, their on-going researches among the highlanders of Thailand and Laos allowed to further enrich these visual archives with more recent (and digital) pictures. In 2013, the partners received funding from the Institut Français to organize a photograph exhibition on the highlanders of Thailand. The exhibition offers an extract of this collection, with a selection of about 40 pictures, chosen for both their scientific interest and their aesthetic quality. It also goes with a book, which contains more than 200 photographs from CESD collection. * Olivier Evrard is an anthropologist at the Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, France and associate researcher at the Center for Ethnic Studies and Development of Chiang Mai University. He has conducted extensive fieldwork among highlanders of Laos since 1994 and Thailand since 2005. His researches focus mostly on mobility, interethnic relationships and heritage. He is collaborating with the Center of Ethnic Studies and Development at Chiang Mai University since 2005. ** Prasit Leepreecha is an anthropologist at the Center for Ethnic Studies and Development of Chiang Mai University. 4

4. FUTURE INTG MEETINGS 364 th Meeting : 13 August 2013 : Illustrations of Theravada Cosmology. A Talk by James E. Bogle, art historian and collector. 365 th Meeting : 20 August 2013 : A visit of an Exhibition of old photographs on Northern Thailand led by Olivier Evrard. Exceptionally, this meeting will be held at Chiang Mai University Campus. 366 th Meeting : 10 September 2013 : Eating Dogs. A Talk by John Keeble. 367 th Meeting :?? October 2013 : [To be announced later]. 368th Meeting : 12 November 2013 : The École française d Extrême-Orient and its Library in Chiang Mai. A Talk by Yves Goudineau, Director of the EFEO Chiang Mai Centre, and Louis Gabaude. Exceptionally, this talk will be held at the EFEO premises, opposite the Alliance Française, between The Chedi Hotel and the Wat Chaimongkhon. 369th Meeting : 10 December 2013 : "Following Buddha s footprints (Buddhapāda)". A Talk & Presentation by Jacques de Guerny. 5. INTG CONTACTS : Convenor - Secretary - Website 1) Convenor : Rebecca Weldon : e-mail : < rebecca.weldon@gmail.com>. Mobile : 087 193 67 67. 2) Secretary : Louis Gabaude : e-mail : <gabaudel@yahoo.com>. Mobile : 087 188 50 99. 3) INTG Website : http ://www.intgcm.thehostserver.com Thank you for you interest in the INTG Talks! 5

Informal Northern Thai Group (INTG) 28 years of Talks! Illustrations of Theravada Buddhism Cosmology A Talk by James E. BOGLE Tuesday 13 August 2013 : 19:30 At the ALLIANCE FRANÇAISE Chiang Mai 138, Charoen Prathet Road, Opposite Wat Chaimongkhon & EFEO