108 Portraits of Indian Photography

Photography made a relatively early appearance in India within five years of its invention in Britain and France. When the British brought the medium to the country in the 1850s, it was initially used to complement painting and as a visual record of history. Over time photography steadily evolved to establish itself as a genre of fine art.

The early photographs were shot by foreigners. An expensive medium, the camera was initially both difficult to get and costly to use. Soon, however, many Indian royals got into the act. The first Indian photographer who held his own with the colonial photographers was Raja Deen Dayal. Since then photography has been an important tool in presenting history, culture and identity that provide codes to understanding these and the politics of representation.

The author presents a bird’s-eye view of the history of Indian photography, beginning with the picturesque and the architectural, moving to photojournalism, documentary, fashion, and contemporary where alternative forms of printing and fine art photography as genres developed. The author’s perceptive selection of photographs complements these developments, from as early as the 1850s to contemporary times. The mechanical processes and the different genres are also lucidly presented to enhance the reader’s appreciation of the medium.

This book is a part of the 108 Portraits of Indian Culture and Heritage series of 14 titles which presents an encyclopaedic view of India’s immeasurable traditional knowledge, each tracing the development and history of a unique discipline. The books are on Indian Traditional Art, Modern and Contemporary Art, Music, Dance, Sculpture, Architecture, Objects, Food, Printmaking, Design, Vernacular and Indigenous Art, Textile, Crafts and Photography