To a weary traveller or parched soldier in 19th-century India, there was perhaps no sight as welcome as the approach of a bhishti. A quick untwisting of the mouth of the mashaq slung over his shoulder, and cool clear water would splash into a grateful cupped palm.
This is a studio portrait of Thakur Sahib Maharaja Lakhdirji Waghji and the young Mahendrasingh of Morvi. They represent two generations of the Jadeja Rajputs who ruled the state of Morvi on the Kathiawar peninsula. In 1807, the East India Company declared the state of Morvi a British protectorate, a system by which local rulers… Read more »
This is a studio portrait of an unidentified woman by Lafayette studios. In the late 19th century, a Dubliner called James Stack Lauder changed his surname and the name of the family photo studio to Lafayette. The rebranding was auspicious, and Lafayette Studio became the portrait studio of choice for the Irish aristocracy. In the… Read more »
This is a portrait of Sayaji Rao Gaekwad III (1863-1939) of Baroda from the album Delhi Coronation Durbar, 1st January 1903 by Wiele and Klein. In 1721, Pilaji Rao Gaekwad defended and reclaimed the city of Baroda from the Mughals as a lieutenant for the Dabhade family, the Marathas in Gujarat. He was granted the… Read more »
This is a photograph taken by Bourne and Shepherd in 1903 of the Maharaja of Alwar, Jai Singh Prabhakar (1882-1937), with members of the Council and Colonel Fagan. The state of Alwar (present-day Rajasthan) was one of the princely states of the Rajputana region of British India. Founded by Rajput chief Pratap Singh in 1775,… Read more »
Tracing the popularisation of the panorama in photography, from its invention by a painter to the pioneering work of Felice Beato
Postcards began at the end of the 19th century as a new kind of crossover between photography and the popular print market. In a collaboration with Picture Postcard Empire, we bring you a virtual exhibition of intriguing postcards from the city of Madras
Acquired from the collection of the late BG Verghese, former editor of the Hindustan Times in the early Seventies, this album features a collection of photographs from Tuensang Village, in eastern Nagaland and bordering Myanmar. It shows members of the Sumi tribe, along with those of other unidentified tribes celebrating Tuluni festival. The Sumis are… Read more »
Although black and white photography rose in popularity and acquired a mark in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Indian aristocrats sought to go a bit further to fully enjoy the medium. They ordered for their portraits to be coloured by hand, often using bold colours. Photo studios accordingly worked in collaboration with artists… Read more »
This painted portrait is identified as Udaji Rao Pawar, Maharaja of Dhar and his wife Lakshmibai. It was created in 1933. Although black and white photography rose in popularity and acquired a mark in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Indian aristocrats sought to go a bit further to fully enjoy the medium. They… Read more »
Well known as a summer resort during the British Raj, Darjeeling was one of the many hill-stations favoured to escape the Indian summer. But more importantly, it commanded entry to neighbouring regions, Nepal and Bhutan, serving as a strategically important outpost for the British. The word Darjeeling comes from ‘dorje ling’ which means a place or… Read more »