History in sepia tones

To celebrate the 175th World Photography Day, the Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts is hosting two vintage photography exhibitions and an array of other events

Art enthusiasts and lovers of all things vintage have a lot to look forward to in New Delhi in the next few weeks. To commemorate the 175th World Photography Day on August 19, the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts, or IGNCA, in collaboration with the Alkazi Foundation for the Arts, is curating an exhibition, 'Drawn from Light'. It is based on two previously held exhibitions, 'Allegory and Illusion: Early Portrait Photography from South Asia' in New York and 'Unveiling India, the Early Lensmen (1850-1910)' in Brussels.

On the brief tour around the galleries with the curator Rahaab Allana, I am mesmerised by the beautiful and evocative collection on display, from the earliest negatives of the Taj Mahal to photographs of courtesans at Wajid Ali Shah's court, once meant only for the Nawab of Awadh's eyes. 

One part of the exhibition showcases the dynamics of portraiture in India, Nepal, Ceylon (now known as Sri Lanka) and Burma (Myanmar) - a visual journey cutting across current political borders. "Instead of looking at India in isolation, the idea is to observe the cultural reciprocity between South Asian countries. For instance, Burma shares influences with North-east India, there is mix of royalty in Nepal, and Ceylon has a Tamil connection," says Allana. "Through these photographs one can see how syncretic the cultures of the sub-continent have always been," he adds. Images drawn from William Johnson's ethnographic series, 'Oriental Races and Tribes' (1863-66), are on view with the 'People of India' series (1868-75), a total of eight albums commissioned by the then Governor General, Lord Canning. The exhibition will also display the works of Felice Beato, one of the earliest war photographers, Raja Deen Dayal, the first Indian court photographer, and Richard Gordon Matzene, the first foreigner who was allowed to click the royal families of Nepal. The painted regional backdrops in different sections of the galleries add another fascinating dimension to the display.

Allana elaborates on the varied styles of portraiture on display. "Prior to the introduction of photography, painting had been the preferred style of documenting rulers and everyday life in India. While sepia-toned photographs enabled precise documentation of subjects, they didn't convey the vivid tonalities of the textiles and external environment of the region," he says. This led to a tradition of collaborations between painters and photographers. Delightful examples are the two photographs of Maharaja Fateh Singh of Udaipur, one original in greyscale, and the other painted over and embellished, giving it an arresting hyper-real quality.

The other part of the display presents the works of early landscape photographers, from Alexander Greenlaw's photographs of the ruins of the Vijayanagara kingdom (Hampi) in south India to John Murray's negative and positive prints of the Taj Mahal and other images from Agra, examples of the earliest panoramic photographs of architecture. Also on display are the first examples of photo montages in India, of people who have been placed in front of a landscape that serves as an appropriate cultural setting. There are iconic images from the bustling streets of Madras, Bombay and Calcutta - "since the first three presidencies of the Raj also had the first few photographic societies of India," says Allana.

Many photographs use different kinds of cameras and printing technology, offering an insight into the varied aesthetics of representation through time. The exhibition also puts on view a display of early wax paper negatives, albumen prints and postcards. Visitors can browse the facsimile copies of the original albums for a deeper understanding of the immense history captured behind the lens.

"These are our photographs and our subjects, and we are immensely pleased to bring them to an Indian audience for the first time," says Dipali Khanna, member secretary, IGNCA. The exhibition will be inaugurated by Ravindra Singh, secretary at the ministry of culture, with illustrious contemporary photographer Dayanita Singh as the guest of honour. There will be a provision of scholar guides to facilitate school tours, and the curator will be conducting walks every alternate Saturday for the benefit of the viewers.

Along with the exhibition, the centre is also hosting a lecture series, a week-long photography workshop and a one-day seminar displaying the cultural material from the archives of IGNCA. It will also feature an exhibition of 20 rare vintage cameras from the personal collection of Dilish Parekh, a jeweller by profession and a photography aficionado. He owns a treasure trove of 4,425 cameras and a Guinness record to boot. But what has enthralled me the most is the opportunity to witness photographs by the father of photojournalism and candid photography, Henri Cartier Bresson. IGNCA is going to reveal its collection of original prints that were last displayed nearly two decades ago. This exhibition will be inaugurated by celebrated photographer S Paul.

Exhibition of Vintage Cameras along with select photographs of Henri Cartier Bresson on August 19 and 20, Media Centre IGNCA, 10 am to 7 pm
Drawn from Light, Early Photography and the Indian Sub-continent from August 19 till September 30, Twin Art Gallery IGNCA, 10 am to 7 pm