INDIAN PHOTOgraphs and the ALBUM

After the invention of the camera and photography in 1839, this exciting new medium was rapidly adopted in India, and by the 1850's, photographers were well-established in the major cities.

These early photographers were restricted by the limitations of the new technique; the use of large unwieldly cameras, complicated chemical processes and the need to have a static subject. These factors dictated how the camera was used. It was ideal for recording landscapes, historical monuments and posed compositions but not for capturing the spontaneity of everyday life.

Over the following years, the demand for views and portraits increased and this stimulated the growth of commercial photographic studios. These studios produced some of the greatest 19th Century images of India. As the popularity of photography increased, it became a fashionable pursuit and attracted many talented amateur photographers including members of the ruling families.

With technological advances in both chemistry and the camera, the art of photography became available to a wider number of enthusiasts. These changes were to have an increasing effect on the role of photography. Soon it would be possible for amateurs to take their own photographs and choose their own subjects. The commercial studios still recorded historical events, the pageantry of the occasion and formal portraits, but the small portable camera was able to record “snapshots” of everyday life.

These “snapshots” offer contrasting images of India. Frequently unposed, spontaneous and quirky. The photographers came from a wide range of backgrounds, with varying degrees of expertise and with very different perspectives of India. Amongst the many mundane subjects, they also catch the exceptionally interesting views of life, architectural perspectives and political and cultural dramas.

The photos were frequently mounted into albums. The albums themselves add a personal narrative to the photographs. They offer a view of India from the standpoint of one individual, sometimes narrowly defined by their profession, but often comprising surprisingly broad and varied images that give a remarkable glimpse of an often unseen India.

ALBUMS AVAILABLE