PHTO.phq | Antiquarian Photographs

The TRIS archival collection of antiquarian photographs possesses images of India taken by European photographers in the 19th and 20th centuries. Photography arrived in India soon after its invention in Europe and was keenly taken by EIC officials. Used as a tool for surveying the geographical terrain, the archaeological heritage and to undertake an ethnographic survey of the 'native', the indexical quality of the camera accorded new possibilities of documentation of what was considered a 'conquerable' colony. Individuals and studios such as Studio Baker and Burke, and Bourne & Shepherd also developed photographs of the distant empire, of indigenous peoples, tribes, their diverse clothing, trades, customs, wilderness, and the “picturesque” - all of which was circulated as souvenirs back to Europe. Also featured are photographs by Indian photographers active during the period such as Lala Deen Dayal whose work intersected with the dominant power structures of the period and reflect upon the aesthetic and technical excellence of an Indian artist with an apparatus that was foreign.