A new photographic exhibition is being held at the EFEO (1st floor) on the theme "Les voyages de Jacques Bacot et la naissance des études tibétaines modernes en France [Jacques Bacot's travels and the birth of modern Tibetan studies in France]" until September 30, 2019.

Pioneer of Tibetan studies in France, Jacques Bacot (1877 - 1965) travelled to eastern Tibet from 1906 to 1907 and from 1909 to 1910. He made extended stays in Darjeeling and Kalimpong from 1913 to 1914 and again from 1931 to 1932. He was the first holder of the chair of Tibetan Studies in the History and Philology section of the École Pratique des Hautes Études. In his publications and teachings, Jacques Bacot showed great expertise in Tibetan language, culture and history. The exhibition presents a selection of his unpublished photographs held at the EFEO, archives and documents deposited at the Asian Society and personal objects from the collection of Olivier de Bernon, one of his grandsons.

Legend: The "Tchraker lama" (Vajradara Drakkkar, brag dkar rdo rdo rje'chang), Jacques Bacot and monks. "Tchangou" (Brag' go བྲག་འགོ་རང་།), Khams ཁམས།, current Tibetan autonomous prefecture of Kardzé (Dkar mdzes) དཀར་མཛེས་བོང་རང་སྐྱོང་ཁུལ་།, North-West Sichuan, September 1909. Unpublished photo, probably taken by Adrup Gönbo (EFEO_BACJ00238).