Just like us, people in the 1800s too wanted to look their best in pictures. They put on their finest clothes, made sure all their nicest possessions were all in the frame and angled the lens so it would tell their side of the story. Through a sampling of the works in Sarmaya’s first ever photo exhibition in Mumbai, we tease out the smaller narratives hidden in the big picture that was India under British rule. Read all about it by clicking the links below.
Portrait of a nation
Photographs that form a compelling narrative about India in the 19th century
The Sarmaya guide to power posing in the 1800s
If you were landed, wealthy and influential in 19th-century India, you simply had to get a photograph taken. Here’s what we’ve learnt about taking a great photo from the lords and ladies of colonial India.