Studio portrait of a father with his children at Delhi, taken by Shepherd and Robertson in c. 1863

This photograph is reproduced as illustration no. 197 in volume IV of 'The People of India' (1869). The image was shown at the Vienna Universal Exhibition in 1873 as part of an exhibit entitled 'The People of India' and consisting of 132 photographs from the publication. This photograph was shown in the section entitled 'Mahomedans' who were described as being "divided into four general classes...namely, Syud, Sheikh, Moghul and Pathan...The Moghuls are the descendants of of those immigrants into India who followed the Tartar and Toorky invasions, and who always constituted large proportions of the Imperial armies."

photograph of copper and iron mining scenes at Alwar in Rajasthan, taken by Thomas Cadell in c. 1873,

This image, possibly of the entrance to the Dareeba copper mine, is one of a series of photographs shown at the Vienna Exhibition of the same year and mentioned in the exhibition catalogue by John Forbes Watson. After photography was introduced into India in the 1840s it rapidly grew in popularity, particularly as a means to record the vast diversity of people and their dress, manners, trades, customs and religions. The first official attempt to create a comprehensive record of Indian types was the 'The People of India'; an ethnographical survey edited by J.F.Watson and John William Kaye, and published in eight volumes from 1868 to1875.

Photograph of bill collectors at Madras in Tamil Nadu, taken by Nicholas & Curths in c. 1870

After photography was introduced into India in the 1840s it rapidly grew in popularity, particularly as a means to record the vast diversity of people and their dress, manners, trades, customs and religions. The first official attempt to create a comprehensive record of Indian types was the 'The People of India'; an ethnographical survey edited by John Forbes Watson and John William Kaye, and published in eight volumes from 1868 to1875. This image of a group posed with bills at the doorway of a house is from the series of 'Photographs illustrating various native classes, occupations, &c....Native bill collectors,' shown at the Vienna Exhibition of 1873 and mentioned in Watson's catalogue of the Vienna Exhibition.

[money collected for export to Britain?]

portrait of Maharao Sir Raghubir Singh, who ruled the state of Bundi in Rajasthan from 1889-1927, was taken by the state photographer.1900

Ganpatrao Abajee Kale,
Sir Raghubir Singh, ca. 1900
Indian interest in photography is attested to by the fact that many of the princely rulers maintained an official photographer as part of their entourage, much as their forebears had supported court painters. This portrait of Maharao Sir Raghubir Singh, who ruled the state of Bundi in Rajasthan from 1889-1927, was taken by the state photographer.

Dyers at work, Western India--Photographer: Narayen, Shivashanker Medium: Photographic print Date: 1873

William Johnson, Ghur-Baree (Householding) Gosaees, Bombay, 1850s

photograph of a cloth stamper seated at a low table on the verandah of a house in Western India, taken by Shivashanker Narayen in c. 1873,

The craft of block printing cotton fabrics is particularly associated with Gujarat. The motifs include flowers, animals, people and abstract designs. The wooden blocks, carved with the design to be printed, have a handle on the back. They are made from woods that are light in weight, gurjun (Dipterocarpus Turbinatus-Gaert) or seasoned teak (Tectona Grandis-Linn); the former wears better when used as a block. Fabrics are still printed this way in India to this day. This image is probably the photograph shown at the Vienna Exhibition of the same year, and described by Watson in catalogue as follows: 'Printing...This is done by wooden stamps, which are charged with the colouring matter, and applied one after the other as the design may require.'

unknown photographer in c. 1873--This image of a group of shoemakers seated at work on the verandah of a workshop

This image of a group of shoemakers seated at work on the verandah of a workshop was shown at the Vienna Universal Exhibition of 1873. After photography was introduced into India in the 1840s it rapidly grew in popularity, particularly as a means to record the vast diversity of people and their dress, manners, trades, customs and religions. The first official attempt to create a comprehensive record of Indian types was the 'The People of India'; an ethnographical survey edited by John Forbes Watson and John William Kaye, and published in eight volumes from 1868 to1875.

A portrait of the Punt Pratinidhi? of Satara, seated with his servants, taken by Hurrichund Chintamon c. 1867,

This photograph was exhibited in the Paris Exhibition of 1867. Punt Pratinidhi was a Brahmin, the priestly caste of the Hindus and the uppermost caste of society. Both British and Indian photographers assisted the archaeological survey. Chintamon was an Indian photographer who made a notable contribution to the book 'The People of India', published by the India Museum in 1868-75. After photography was introduced into India in the 1840s it rapidly grew in popularity, particularly as a means to record the vast diversity of people and their dress, manners, trades, customs and religions. Ethnographical prints were produced by large photographic firms operating in India as well as by smaller or temporary studios to meet European demands for souvenirs from the East. Figures, like those in this image, were often posed to display their characteristic attributes and artefacts. Chintamon set up the first photographic firm in Bombay.

Women preparing cowdung cakes for fuel, Ahmadabad--Photographer: Narayen, Shivashanker Medium: Photographic print Date: 1870

Photograph of two women fashioning cow dung into flat cakes at Ahmadabad in Gujarat, taken by Shivashanker Narayen in c. 1870, from the Archaeological Survey of India. Narayen contributed to the book 'The People of India', published by the India Museum in 1868-75. After photography was introduced into India in the 1840s it rapidly grew in popularity, particularly as a means to record the vast diversity of people and their dress, manners, trades, customs and religions. Cow dung is collected and made into flat round 'patties' which are dried on walls and roofs and then sold as fuel and used extensively on cooking fires and for heating. It has many other uses, including fertiliser and as a flooring material when mixed with mud and water.

Worker preparing thread for sari weaving ---Photographer: Shivashanker Narayen Medium: Photographic print Date: 1870

In the early 1860s the Governor General of India Lord Canning commissioned ethnographical photographs for the whole of India. This image showing a worker crouching beside a spinning wheel [charkha] and paying off thread to a reel at the right, is probably one of the series of views of cotton manufacture shown by Narayan at the Vienna Exhibition of 1873.

Photograph of a Bhisti filling his Pukhal at Surat in Gujarat, taken by Shivashanker Narayen in c. 1870,

This image shows a water carrier pouring water from a leather bucket into the leather container slung over the back of a bullock. A description in Volume IV of 'The People of India' by John Forbes Watson states, "A Bheestie or Pukkalli [using a bulllock - as in this image] is a domestic servant in every Mahomedan household in India which can afford to keep one. In wealthy families several may be kept, and in English families, regimental messes, and the like, the same custom prevails. Where a special servant cannot be afforded, Bheesties deliver as many potsful or skinsful as may be needed during the day, and are paid in proportion. They also serve in the regular army, both in the infantry and the cavalry &c. In the infantry one or two are attached to every company, European and Native, as it has also its barber and washerman. They accompany the regiment on its march, filling their bags from running streams or cool wells as fast as they are emptied by the thirsty soldiers. They also go into action their corps, supplying water under the hottest fire...In cavalry regiments a Pukkal Bheestie...is also on the establishment of every troop, in the proportion of one to twenty-five or thirty horses...The Pukkalli is very fond of his bullock, and takes great care of it." Watson and Kaye's 'The People of India', published in eight volumes from 1868 to1875, was the first official attempt to create a comprehensive record of Indian types.

photograph of turban folders at work in India, taken by Shivashanker Narayen in c. 1873,

This image, of a group of workers folding turbans on wooden model heads, was probably shown at the Vienna Universal Exhibition of the same year. After photography was introduced into India in the 1840s it rapidly grew in popularity, particularly as a means to record the vast diversity of people and their dress, manners, trades, customs and religions. The first official attempt to create a comprehensive record of Indian types was the 'The People of India'; an ethnographical survey edited by J.F.Watson and John William Kaye, and published in eight volumes from 1868 to1875.

Photograph of a gold puggree border weaver at work in India, taken by Shivashankar Narayan in c. 1873

This image shows a craftsman weaving the border of a puggree, an expensive turban, made of gold thread; thread which has been mixed with gold wire made from gold leaf melted onto silver bars and forced through small holes in a steel plate to form very fine gauge wires. Metal threads from India were considered less likely to tarnish than products from other sources. The pulleys of the narrow loom pictured are affixed to the wall opposite the weaver and also to the ceiling of the small workshop and there appear to be regimental badges attached to the wall. After photography was introduced into India in the 1840s it rapidly grew in popularity, particularly as a means to record the vast diversity of people and their dress, manners, trades, customs and religions.

Photograph of carpenters at work at Madras in Tamil Nadu, taken by Nicholas & Curths in c. 1870,

Carpenters and woodcarvers in Tamil Nadu come from the Kammaalar caste and the type of work performed is dictated by caste divisions. Carpenters produce complex carved work for temples, including temple cars, ornately carved front doors and verandah columns for houses, musical instruments and agricultural implements. After photography was introduced into India in the 1840s it rapidly grew in popularity, particularly as a means to record the vast diversity of people and their dress, manners, trades, customs and religions. Amateur photographers became increasingly interested in ethnography. In the early 1860s the Governor General of India Lord Canning commissioned ethnographical photographs for the whole of India

Photograph of two zardozis (gold lace makers) at Delhi in India, taken by Shepherd & Robertson in c. 1863,

This image is reproduced in 'The People of India', vol IV, (no. 187). The accompanying text states "The photograph shows a man at work, with his assistant, who may be required occasionally, but who for the present is looking on. The workman is seated on a rude stool, which has a rest for his right hand. The treadles of his simple loom, worked by his feet, are seen below, and the cross pieces above are the heddles and strings which hold his materials for the pattern he is working, and which is effected by skilful manipulation...Thus are woven some of the most wonderful and beautiful fabrics in the world. Tissues of gold and silver, plain and figured, with and without a mixture of silk or cotton in flowers and patterns; gold and silver tissue lace of all breadths and patterns, used for trimming scarves, and for bridal dresses; larger scarves of muslin and tissue combined, as those of Benares; and that wonderful cloth of gold called kumkhab or kincob, which is without parallel in the ornamental manufactures of the world. All these are comparatively little known as yet in Europe; but in the various International Exhibitions in England and France, specimens have been exhibited, which have excited alike wonder and admiration." It was held that metal threads from India were less likely to tarnish than similar products from other sources.

Domestic servants at Madras in Tamil Nadu, taken by Nicholas & Curths in c. 1870,

Posed studio group of domestic servants at Madras in Tamil Nadu, taken by Nicholas & Curths in c. 1870, from the Archaeological Survey of India Collections.
After photography was introduced into India in the 1840s it rapidly grew in popularity, particularly as a means to record the vast diversity of people and their dress, manners, trades, customs and religions. The first official attempt to create a comprehensive record of Indian types was the 'The People of India'; an ethnographical survey edited by John Forbes Watson and John William Kaye, and published in eight volumes from 1868 to1875. This image shows four domestic servants in a European household posed in the act of performing various tasks. It was shown at the Vienna Exhibition of 1873 and is mentioned in Watson's exhibition catalogue.

Dubgur caste making pots---Photographer: Narayen, Shivashanker Medium: Photographic print Date: 1870

Photograph of a group of men from the Dubgur caste making pots, at Surat in Gujarat, taken by Shivashanker Narayen in c. 1870, from the Archaeological Survey of India. Unglazed terracotta or earthenware pots would be used for storage of grain, spices or pickles. Vessels are also made for transporting and storing water. After photography was introduced into India in the 1840s it rapidly grew in popularity, particularly as a means to record the vast diversity of people and their dress, manners, trades, customs and religions. The first official attempt to create a comprehensive record of Indian types was the 'The People of India'; an ethnographical survey edited by John Forbes Watson and John William Kaye, and published in eight volumes from 1868 to1875.

Studio portrait of three Camatti women of the mason caste.--Photographer: Unknown Medium: Photographic print Date: 1860

A Studio portrait of three Camatti women of the mason caste, taken by an unknown photographer in the 1860s. This is one of a series of photographs from the Archaeological Survey of India Collections commissioned by the Government of India in the 19th century in order to gather information about the different racial groups on the sub-continent. After photography was introduced into India in the 1840s it rapidly grew in popularity, particularly as a means to record the vast diversity of people and their dress, manners, trades, customs and religions. Ethnographical prints were produced by large photographic firms operating in India as well as by smaller or temporary studios to meet European demands for souvenirs from the East.

Moulvies [Muslim lawyers, Delhi]--Photographer: Shepherd and Robertson Medium: Photographic print Date: 1863

Photograph of 'moulvies', Muslim lawyers, at Delhi in India, taken by Shepherd and Robertson in c.1863. This image of three seated men in discussion, surrounded by books, is reproduced as illustration no.198 in volume IV of John Forbes Watson's 'The People of India' (1869). The accompanying text states, "The photograph represents three doctors of Mahomedan law, or Moulvees, in discussion, perhaps on some knotty point in the text, on which the figure on the left has placed his hand, while the other two are listening to what he has to say. They form a very characteristic group of a class of learned men, who are perhaps decreasing under lack of patronage and exercise for their talents and knowledge...however, Mahomedan law still occupies a prominent place, and all property belonging to Mahomedans is inherited, divided, or litigated, under that law. Thus marriage settlements are drawn up by Moulvees, and the separate shares of widows, sons, and daughters, of all families of Mahomedans are defined by them. Wills are written by them, and conveyances and deeds in special cases; in short the civil law business of the Mahomedan people of India is in their hands. English judges are supposed to be conversant with Mahomedan law; but there are many points in which the general direction of a competant law officer is needful, and a Moulvee who has passed a prescribed examination is attached to every civil court."

Goldsmith--Photographer: Shepherd and Robertson Medium: Photographic print Date: 1863

Goldsmith
Photograph of a goldsmith at work in Delhi in India, taken by Shepherd and Robertson in c.1863. This image of the goldsmith blowing on his furnace through a tube is used as illustration no.186 in volume IV of 'The People of India' (1869). The text states, "The Sonar or gold and silversmith is an indispensible member of the Indian social condition of life; and he is to be found in every village, almost in every hamlet, as well as in all towns and cities. In the Deccan, where original national institutions are preserved in village communes, and wherever they are at present existant throughout India - the Sonar is a member of the hereditary village council, which includes the carpenter and blacksmith, the potter, and other useful and indispensible mechanics, and is twelve in number, presided over by the patell, the hereditary magistrate or head manager."
Photographer: Shepherd and Robertson
Medium: Photographic print
Date: 1863

Studio portrait of a Kathiawar Rajput, at Bombay.--Photographer: Chintamon, Hurrichund Medium: Photographic print Date: 1867

Golas. Salt makers--Photographer: Shepherd and Robertson Medium: Photographic print Date: 1863

Photograph of Golas, salt makers, in Rajasthan in India, taken by Shepherd and Robertson in c.1863. This image shows a group of four men, three seated, one standing, gathered round a basket of salt. John Forbes Watson wrote in 'The People of India', 1869-72, Volume IV, in which this photograph was reproduced, "The Golahs are a low class caste or tribe of Hindoos, but by no means one of the outcast tribes...the Golahs are professional salt makers, while they are also general cultivators; for it is only in the hottest weather that they can carry out their work as salt makers...In domestic customs and religion, the Golahs do not differ from the Jats or Goojurs in any remarkable degree...Their women are not secluded, and assist their families both in field labour and salt making. Baskets of salt are shown in the photograph, as also the strong hoe with which the salt earth is dug out....The Golahs are considered a gentle, honest class, and no habitual crime is attributed to them. As a rule they are very industrious, and are not migratory or unsettled..."

Rungrazes. (Dyers)--Photographer: Shepherd and Robertson Medium: Photographic print Date: 1863

Photograph of a group of Rangrez or dyer caste members at work in India, taken by Shepherd and Robertson in c.1863. This photograph is reproduced as illustration no.183 in volume IV of John Forbes Watson's The People of India (1869). The accompanying text states, "A few large pans for mixing the dyes, trestles for supporting the straining cloth, and a press are all that are used in the simple operations of the craft...The craft is hereditary; and and the secrets of mixing colours, methods of extracting the dyes, of the use of mordants, and of producing every variety of tint that may be necessary, descend from father to son, and have perhaps been little changed in the course of ages...the colours produced by the Indian dyer are for the most part very pure and beautiful. They are of two kinds: one permanent, and used in fabrics which have to bear constant washing; the other fleeting, and intended for temporary use only. In the former catalogue are the yarns for weaving both silk and cotton cloths; in the latter, white cloths, such as muslin, turbans, scarves and the like, are dyed in the piece, to suit the taste of their possessors. Turbans and scarves, for instance, are dyed of the brightest and most delicate tints of scarlet, pink, rose colour, crimson, purple, yellow, orange, and green, by mixtures made from safflower, turmeric, madder, and indigo, &c...the permanence of the Indian dyes in all shades of madder and cochineal, combined with indigo and other colours, has always been remarkable. The garments woven from such dyed yarns are chiefly those worn by women, and have to undergo not only daily washing, but exposure to the sun in drying; yet the colour not only never fails, but seems to grow brighter and clearer from constant exposure."
"

Tailors at work

Studio portrait of tailors at work taken by Nicholas and Curths in c. 1870, from the Archaeological Survey of India Collections. This image is from a series by Nicholas & Curths, shown at the Vienna Universal Exhibition of 1873. After photography was introduced into India in the 1840s it rapidly grew in popularity, particularly as a means to record the vast diversity of people and their dress, manners, trades, customs and religions.

Photograph of an embroiderer in Delhi taken by Shepherd and Robertson in c.1863. This image of a man seated cross-legged at his embroidery frame is reproduced as illustration no.188 in volume IV of John Forbes Watson's 'The People of India' (1869), where it is captioned 'Scarfmaker'. The accompanying text states, "Delhi scarves are famous, and there are few to whom they are not known. They are of cashmere cloth, or of net, embroidered with silks of various colours, and in all imaginable designs...The outline is traced carefully on the material to be embroidered, which is stretched upon a frame supported by trestles, as seen in the photograph. The worker is seated on the ground beside it, and fills in the pattern with floss silk by means of wooden needles, like those used in the embroidery of cashmere shawls.

Shrofs. Money changer--Photographer: Shepherd and Robertson Medium: Photographic print Date: 1863

Studio portrait of shroffs or money changers at Delhi in India, taken by Shepherd and Robertson in c.1863. This image of two men, seated with account books and piles of coins, is reproduced as illustration number 185 in Volume IV of John Forbes Watson's 'The People of India' (1869). The accompanying text states, "Shroffs are not always Bunneas (small traders), although the person illustrated may have been one. They are not unfrequently Brahmins, who have adopted a secular calling, and deal in money - Khutris, and other castes, Vaisya and Sudra. Their trade is the exchange of money, the giving change for rupees in pyce or copper coin, and for pyce in cowries. In the higher branches of his calling, the Shroff discounts hoodees, or bills of exchange, bonds, and promissory notes. He deals also in bullion, in small or large quantities, buys and sells ornaments, old and new pearls, and precious stones of all kinds. Finally, he lends money, generally on pledges of gold and silver ornaments, in small proportion to their value, but at moderate interest."

Indian carriage & pair--Photographer: Shepherd and Robertson Medium: Photographic print Date: 1863

  TO STOP THE BULLOCK CART AN INGENIOUS BRAKE IS USED :-ONE CAN SEE IT ON THE OUT SIDE OF THE CART WHEEL AS A TRIANGULAR CONTRAPTION  .THE BULLOCK CART DRIVERS RIGHT FOOT IS ALMOST ON THE BRAKE PEDAL ;BY PRESSING DOWN ON THE BRAKE PEDAL ROD THE CART COMES TO A STOP ;AS THE BACK PART OF THE WHEEL IS PRESSED  ON BY THE HORIZONTAL ROD EXTENDING BETWEEN  THE TWO WHEELS AT THE BACK  ;  DEPENDING ON PRESSURE OF THE BRAKE PEDAL THE CART CAN SLOW OR COME TO A COMPLETE STOP ;WITH A  LOUD GRINDING NOISE;DUE TO THE SCRAPPING OF THE BRAKE ROD AT THE BACK OF THE WHEEL
Photograph of an Indian carriage and pair in Rajasthan, Western India, taken by Shepherd and Robertson in c.1863. This image shows two figures seated in a small two-wheeled carriage drawn by a pair of bullocks. The photograph was published in 'The People of India', vol. VII, (1872), where it is used to illustrate the Guddees, a farming tribe of the North-West Provinces and there the location is identified as Rajasthan. The accompanying text states, "The Guddees profess to be a Mussulman tribe converted from low caste Hindooism in the reign of Aurungzeeb. They are cultivators, and keep and breed cattle to a large extent...Their principal locality is the Dooab of the North-Western Provinces, but they are also found in the Ulwar and Bhurtpoor states of Rajpootana. They are a mild, inoffensive people, and, as a class, of good behaviour, peaceful, industrious, and long lived...With their large herds they possess numbers of carts, both for transport of goods and as travelling vehicles. The cart shown here is one for riding or travelling in...As a vehicle, nothing can be more inconvenient or more rough, and the passenger has to assume a painfully cramped position which cannot be changed. It is, however, very strong, yet light, and with the well-trained bullock employed can make a long journey in a day."

Two women grinding at a mill (studio reconstruction)

Photographer: Unknown

Medium: Photographic print

Date: 1873

Blacksmith at work (studio reconstruction)

Studio portrait of blacksmiths at work in India, taken by an unknown photographer in c. 1873, from the Archaeological Survey of India Collections. This photograph of two men shaping a piece of metal, with a woman seated to the right, operating the bellows was probably shown at an international exhibition. A description in Volume V of John Forbes Watson's 'The People of India' states, "The blacksmith is as indispensible to the wants of the community in these days, when iron is so much used, as is the carpenter...He works sitting on his heels, and has an anvil, large or small, a sledge hammer used by an assistant, a smaller one for his own hand, pincers, files (which he makes himself and tempers), and a bellows, which consists of two sheep skins, with iron nozzles fitted to them open at the other end, which is fitted with two pieces of wood faced with rough leather. The blower opens and shuts these alternately, pressing out the air with his hand, so that a continuous stream od air is kept up in the charcoal fire. This simple apparatus can be moved anywhere, set up in a few minutes, and is perfectly effective for ordinary work."

Photographer: Unknown

Medium: Photographic print

Date: 1873

Studio portrait of a Kathiawar Rajput, at Bombay.

A studio portrait of a Kathiawar Rajput gentleman posed with a hookah, from the Archaeological Survey of India Collections. This was taken by Hurrichund Chintamon and shown in the Paris Exhibition of 1867. In the 19th century photographers found that the sub-continent offered limitless opportunities to record a vast diversity of peoples and their dress, manners, trades, customs and religions. Ethnographical prints were produced by large firms operating in India as well as by smaller or temporary studios to meet European demands for souvenirs from the East. Figures were often posed to display their characteristic attributes and artefacts. The Indian photographer Hurrichund Chintamon began one of the oldest photographic firms in Bombay (1858-81). He made a notable contribution to the book, 'The People of India'. Indian Museum, London, 1868-75.

Photographer: Chintamon, Hurrichund

Medium: Photographic print

Date: 1867

Goldsmith

Photograph of a goldsmith at work in Delhi in India, taken by Shepherd and Robertson in c.1863. This image of the goldsmith blowing on his furnace through a tube is used as illustration no.186 in volume IV of 'The People of India' (1869). The text states, "The Sonar or gold and silversmith is an indispensible member of the Indian social condition of life; and he is to be found in every village, almost in every hamlet, as well as in all towns and cities. In the Deccan, where original national institutions are preserved in village communes, and wherever they are at present existant throughout India - the Sonar is a member of the hereditary village council, which includes the carpenter and blacksmith, the potter, and other useful and indispensible mechanics, and is twelve in number, presided over by the patell, the hereditary magistrate or head manager."

Photographer: Shepherd and Robertson

Medium: Photographic print

Date: 1863

Studio portrait of three Shenoy Bhatias, Bombay.

Full-length portrait of three seated Shenoy Bhatias in Mumbai, posed against a painted backdrop, taken by Hurrichund Chintamon c. 1867. This photograph is part of the Archaeological Survey of India Collections and was on show in the Paris exhibition of 1867. After photography was introduced into India in the 1840s it rapidly grew in popularity, particularly as a means to record the vast diversity of people and their dress, manners, trades, customs and religions. Ethnographical prints were produced by large photographic firms operating in India as well as by smaller or temporary studios to meet European demands for souvenirs from the East. Chintamon had the oldest firm in Bombay.

Photographer: Chintamon, Hurrichund

Medium: Photographic print

Date: 1867

Studio portrait of Sonar group, Bombay.

Full-length portrait of an older, seated man, with a younger man and two boys standing on either side, taken by Hurrichund Chintamon, c. 1867. This photograph is from the Archaeological Survey of India Collections, and was shown at the Paris Exhibition of 1867. All the figures in this image wear the distinctive flat, circular turban of the Sonar caste, who were goldsmiths. This is one of a series of photographs commissioned by the Government of India in the 19th century, in order to gather information about the different racial groups on the sub-continent. Hurruchund Chintamon was the oldest photographic firm in Bombay. Chintamon himself made a notable contribution to the book, 'The People of India', Indian Museum, London, 1868-75.

Photographer: Chintamon, Hurrichund

Medium: Photographic print

Date: 1867

Photograph of a group of men from the Dubgur caste making pots, at Surat in Gujarat, taken by Shivashanker Narayen in c. 1870, from the Archaeological Survey of India. Unglazed terracotta or earthenware pots would be used for storage of grain, spices or pickles. Vessels are also made for transporting and storing water. After photography was introduced into India in the 1840s it rapidly grew in popularity, particularly as a means to record the vast diversity of people and their dress, manners, trades, customs and religions. The first official attempt to create a comprehensive record of Indian types was the 'The People of India'; an ethnographical survey edited by John Forbes Watson and John William Kaye, and published in eight volumes from 1868 to1875.

Dubgurs at work, Surat

Photographer: Narayen, Shivashanker

Medium: Photographic print

Date: 1870

Cotton stacks and 'churka' or cotton gin in operation, Berar--Photographer: Unknown Medium: Photographic print Date: 1866

Photograph of cotton stacks and a 'charka' or cotton gin in operation at Berar in India, taken by an unknown photographer in 1866, from the Archaeological Survey of Indian Collections. After photography was introduced into India in the 1840s it rapidly grew in popularity, particularly as a means to record the vast diversity of people and their dress, manners, trades, customs and religions. The first official attempt to create a comprehensive record of Indian types was the 'The People of India'; an ethnographical survey edited by John Forbes Watson and John William Kaye, and published in eight volumes from 1868 to1875. This photograph shows a group of workers posed among piles of cotton. In the middleground two women operate a small charka or gin, while in the foreground a man is posed with a spinning wheel. In the exhibition catalogue of the Vienna exhibition of 1873 Watson describes of one of these machines, "[the charka] consists of two rollers, either one of iron and one of wood, or both of wood, revolving in opposite directions. The fibre is drawn through between the rollers, the seed, which is too bulky to pass through, falling on the other side. The machine is very simple, and seldom gets out of order, and the principle on which it works is the foundation of most of the cotton gins made from time to time in Europe...The native gins do their work fairly enough, but much seed is sometimes found in the cotton thus cleaned".
   MAHATMA GANDHI USED CHARKHA AS A PROTEST WEAPON AGAINST BRITAIN

Dhulloo and Dedar Khan (jemadars or head servants)-Artist: Eden, Emily Medium: Lithograph Date: 1844

This lithograph was taken from plate 4 of Emily Eden's 'Portraits of the Princes and People of India'. Eden wrote: "The figures in the print are Jemadars of Chuprassies or head men of the servants, whom it is usual to employ in India, for the purposes of taking orders, carrying letters &c. They are generally dressed in a kind of livery suited to the native costume." A keen amateur artist, Eden painted the diverse people she met in India. She also detailed her observations and opinions on what she saw in letters to her sister, which were published in 1866 in two volumes, entitled 'Up the Country'.

Brahmin group, Bombay.--Photographer: Chintamon, Hurrichund Medium: Photographic print Date: 1860

Studio portrait of six Brahmins, or priests, in Mumbai, taken by Hurrichund Chintamon in the 1860s. This photograph is from the Archaeological Survey of India Collections; one of a series of ethnographical photographs commissioned by the Government of India in the late 19th century to gather information about the people and monuments of India. Material was submitted by both professional and amateur photographers. Ethnographical prints were also produced by large photographic firms and temporary studios in India to meet European demands for souvenirs from the East and in response the rising interest in ethnography. Brahmins are the highest of the four Hindu castes.

Studio portrait of two Rajputs, Bombay-Photographer: Chintamon, Hurrichund Medium: Photographic print Date: 1867

Gold puggree border weaver--Photographer: Narayen, Shivashanker Medium: Photographic print Date: 1873

Photograph of a gold puggree border weaver at work in India, taken by Shivashankar Narayan in c. 1873, from the Archaeological Survey of India Collections. This image shows a craftsman weaving the border of a puggree, an expensive turban, made of gold thread; thread which has been mixed with gold wire made from gold leaf melted onto silver bars and forced through small holes in a steel plate to form very fine gauge wires. Metal threads from India were considered less likely to tarnish than products from other sources. The pulleys of the narrow loom pictured are affixed to the wall opposite the weaver and also to the ceiling of the small workshop and there appear to be regimental badges attached to the wall. After photography was introduced into India in the 1840s it rapidly grew in popularity, particularly as a means to record the vast diversity of people and their dress, manners, trades, customs and religions.

Women gathering cowdung,--Photographer: Narayen, Shivashanker Medium: Photographic print Date: 1870

Photograph of women gathering cowdung at Ahmadabad in Gujarat, taken by Shivashanker Narayen in c. 1870, from the Archaeological Survey of India. Narayen contributed to the book 'The People of India', published by the India Museum in 1868-75. After photography was introduced into India in the 1840s it rapidly grew in popularity, particularly as a means to record the vast diversity of people and their dress, manners, trades, customs and religions. Cow dung is collected and made into flat round 'patties' which are dried on walls and roofs and then sold as fuel and used extensively on cooking fires and for heating. It has many other uses, including fertiliser and as a flooring material when mixed with mud and water.

Bhattia turban folders at work--Photographer: Narayen, Shivashanker Medium: Photographic print Date: 1873

hotograph of turban folders at work in India, taken by Shivashanker Narayen in c. 1873, from the Archaeological Survey of India Collections. This image, of a group of workers folding turbans on wooden model heads, was probably shown at the Vienna Universal Exhibition of the same year. After photography was introduced into India in the 1840s it rapidly grew in popularity, particularly as a means to record the vast diversity of people and their dress, manners, trades, customs and religions. The first official attempt to create a comprehensive record of Indian types was the 'The People of India'; an ethnographical survey edited by J.F.Watson and John William Kaye, and published in eight volumes from 1868 to1875.

Blackwood carvers at work--Photographer: Unknown Medium: Photographic print Date: 1873

Photograph of blackwood carvers at work in India, taken by an unknown photographer in c. 1873, from the Archaeological Survey of India Collections. This image showing two wood carvers at work, surrounded by elaborately carved furniture in the workshop, was probably shown at the Vienna Exhibition of 1873. After photography was introduced into India in the 1840s it rapidly grew in popularity, particularly as a means to record the vast diversity of people and their dress, manners, trades, customs and religions. The first official attempt to create a comprehensive record of Indian types was the 'The People of India'; an ethnographical survey edited by J.F.Watson and John William Kaye, and published in eight volumes from 1868 to1875.

Bhisti filling his Pukhal, Surat--BOMBAY PRESIDENCY--Photographer: Narayen, Shivashanker Medium: Photographic print Date: 1870

Photograph of a Bhisti filling his Pukhal at Surat in Gujarat, taken by Shivashanker Narayen in c. 1870, from the Archaeological Survey of India Collections. This image shows a water carrier pouring water from a leather bucket into the leather container slung over the back of a bullock. A description in Volume IV of 'The People of India' by John Forbes Watson states, "A Bheestie or Pukkalli [using a bulllock - as in this image] is a domestic servant in every Mahomedan household in India which can afford to keep one. In wealthy families several may be kept, and in English families, regimental messes, and the like, the same custom prevails. Where a special servant cannot be afforded, Bheesties deliver as many potsful or skinsful as may be needed during the day, and are paid in proportion. They also serve in the regular army, both in the infantry and the cavalry &c. In the infantry one or two are attached to every company, European and Native, as it has also its barber and washerman. They accompany the regiment on its march, filling their bags from running streams or cool wells as fast as they are emptied by the thirsty soldiers. They also go into action their corps, supplying water under the hottest fire...In cavalry regiments a Pukkal Bheestie...is also on the establishment of every troop, in the proportion of one to twenty-five or thirty horses...The Pukkalli is very fond of his bullock, and takes great care of it." Watson and Kaye's 'The People of India', published in eight volumes from 1868 to1875, was the first official attempt to create a comprehensive record of Indian types.

Worker preparing thread for sari weaving--Photographer: Shivashanker Narayen Medium: Photographic print Date: 1870

In the early 1860s the Governor General of India Lord Canning commissioned ethnographical photographs for the whole of India. This image showing a worker crouching beside a spinning wheel [charkha] and paying off thread to a reel at the right, is probably one of the series of views of cotton manufacture shown by Narayan at the Vienna Exhibition of 1873.

Stereo and type casting room ['Times of India'], - November 1898.

Establishment [of 'Times of India'] - January 1898 - Kane, Bennett & Co-Photographer: E.O.S. and Company Medium: Photographic print Date: 1898

This formal group portrait by E.O.S. and Company shows employees of the Times of India newspaper posed on the steps of Mumbai Town Hall on the occasion of the newspaper's Diamond Jubilee (60 years), November 1898. The newspaper was established in the 1830s following Lord Metcalfe's Act of 1835 which removed restrictions on the liberty of the Indian press. On the 3rd November 1838 the 'Bombay Times and Journal of Commerce' was launched in bi-weekly editions, on Saturdays and Wednesdays. It contained news of Europe, America and the sub-continent and was conveyed between India and Europe via regular steam ships. From 1850 the paper appeared in daily editions and in 1861 the 'Bombay Times' became the 'Times of India'. By the end of the 19th century the paper employed 800 people and had a wide circulation in India and Europe. The company was owned by Kane, Bennett & Co. at this period.