Horticultural Gardens, Madras

This is an albumen print photograph of a banyan tree in the Madras horticulture gardens. The photographer of this particular image is unknown but the photo is attributed to the Francis Frith and Co. studio.

Francis Frith and Co. got started in the 1850s when commercial photography was on the rise in India, They produced 3 series of topographical and architectural views of India. Their first catalogue printed around 1870, consists of photos of Madras, Delhi, Agra, Bombay Presidency, etc.

In this photograph, you can view one of the early horticulture gardens in Madras managed by the Agri-Horticultural Society of Madras. The Society’s central botanical garden, in its heyday, stretched 22 acres on either side of Cathedral Road, right next to St. George’s Cathedral.

This work was displayed as part of Sarmaya’s exhibition – ‘In the Dappled Light’ (29th March – 4th May 2025)