Camera Indica: The Social Life of Indian Photographs

238 Pages·1998·13.159 MB·English

by  Christopher Pinney

I
/CAMERA INDICA
TheS ocLiiaoflef I ndiPahno tographs
CHRISTOPHERP INNEY
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TheU niverosfCi htiyc Pargeos s
ChristoPpihnenre iys L ecturienSr o utAhs ian 1f.l&. �(/ · v
Anthropolaottg hye S chooolfO rientaanldA fra
StudiUensi,v ersoiftL yo ndon UN!"\
OFU<
LIBL
ToT rudwii tlho ve
TheU niversoiftC yh icaPgroe ssC,h icag6o0 673
ReaktiBoono kLst dL,o ndownr P IDE
Copyri©g hCthristoPpihnenre yI,9 97
Allr ighrtess ervPeudb.l ish1e9d9 7
PrinteidnG reaBtr itain
070 60 50 40 30 2O I0 09 99 89 7 I 2 3 4 5 6
DesignbeydR onC ostley
ISBNo:- 226-6658-67( cloth)
ISBNo:- 226-66866-5 (paper)
LibraorfyC ongreCsast aloging-in-Publication Data
PinneyC,h ristopher.
CamerIan di:ct ah es ocilailf oefI ndiapnh otographs f -
ChristoPpihnenre y.
p. em.
Includbeisb liograprheifcearle nces.
ISBNo -226-6686(5c-l7o :t ahllp<a.p e-r)I.SBNo -226-6686(6p-b5:k .
alkp.a per).
r.P hotograpihney t hnol-ogIyndia-HistoryP.h ot2o.g rapihny
ethnologGyr-eaBtr ita-inHisto-ryI 9thc entury3.P· h otography­
IndiaP-sychologaiscpaelc ts4.P. o rtrapihto tographIyn-dia­
History2-othc entury.
GN635.I4P49 1997
770'.954-dC2I
Thisb ooki sp rintoenda cid-fpraepee r.
Contents
Acknowgleemden6t s,
NotoenT ranistlreati7o n,
Pref8a ce,
PrologIu e,
r
I' SrtnFe idealni'dtP ye'n etCrearttianigIn 7t y',
2I ndiEayne7 s2,
3C hamrbsoe fD reamIs0,8
Epilo2gIuoe ,
Gloss2aI 4 r y,
Refere2nIc6e s,
SeleBcitb olgirap2h3y0,
LisotfI llustr23a r t ions,
Inde2x3,6
Acknowledgements
Ih avmea ndye btBsh aitni asnuNdda ag dFaos.rh artihnepgih ro tographs
antdh ougahbtopsuh to togIrm aupsthths a Vnik jayS uVryePasashn, j abi,
NandKai shJoors Bhaib,u Bloahlr Maa,n oajn dD inesh Khandelwal,
ManoJjh a, KPauiklhaarsnahdPj, r itiBbiahlaar,i , LaRkasmhlmaaln,,
KanvaGrolvaalr,d hMaannloahla,Pr rlaaklaI,ss hh,vP aarn,n aRlaaml­,
chanadnrmdaa noyt h.eO rthseirn diviidnIu nadwlihsaoh avhee lpine d
av arioefgt eyn erwoauyissn clRu.d.GPe u ptEa.A, l kaFzoiyN, i ssen,
SatSihsahr Vmian,Sa ryi tvaavsAas,h Niasdn yP,a trUibecrioaAi n,n an­
dalNaalrjoit atnaRdma vAig rwaal.
Morgee nedreablt s itnhcotlsoRue od sel Pyoni gnaannDdta vMiadc ­
Dougfaolrl mamkeis netgeh apth oogtrawpehrswe o rtohbyj eocft s
anthropoilnoqguiticorta yhll;e a Atlef rCeedl le nfcooru rmaegt ion g
wandferrot mh set raaingndha tr rtooBw a;r nCeoyha nn Jdo hFnal coner
fotrh eiinrsi pniwgro rokne arIlnyd iaannt hlroogapynop dh oogtratpoh y;
RachDewly efros rh arinrge mhaerrkk anbolwel eodfSg oeu Atshi tao;
SmieraMna nS inCgehl l, BMhuakshkoaparay da,hn yCdh rWirsi ght for
inisrpatainaoddn v itcoMe c;K iMma rrfiooirtn ts ighhotptseo Ia ddress
nextti mteo; HBohmaib fhoar sugigne sfittrhipsenlt ga t cheIa w tr iat e
boolki tkheai nsfd o hric so ntineunocruoasug emteotn hti nk aa bnoeuwt
kinda notfh ropology.
Myr eseoanrn cihn eteceennttphuh-roygt roaphym awdpaeos s sbiyb le
aS muts ReFseelalrocwahst h Citephn eto rfSe o uAtshi an SUtnuid­ies,
versoifCt aym bribdegtew e1e97n8a n1d8 99a,n mdu cohfm yw orikn
NagdaanB dh atihsaubsde aef nu ndseidn1 c9e8b y9 Stchheo oofOl r iental
anAdf riSctaund tiheBesr ,i tAicsahd e,a mnytdh e NuFfofiuenldda tion.
Indiviadnuedam lpsl ooyfe eftsoh lel oiwnisntgi stm uutsaitlo sbnoe
thankMeadn:jT ierliaa nngMd e enPaalr anDjrBp hea,Du a ijL aMd us­
eumB,o mbRaaym;e Jsahm dianArs,i aStoiecctiB yo,m b;Ya .Sy C.h addha,
IndAiraStnt udBioom,b ayY;o gMernS darhaSa aiw,Ma ain S inIgMIhu s­
eumC,i ty PJaaliapScuuerr,;eC shha bNraitai, onaAlr cFhioilfIvm ne d ia,
PunMer;S haramnaAd . K .Av astPhhio,tr aopgShieicco tNne,h rMue m­
oriLailb rDaerlyhI,in ;do SrteaM tues euPmr;a bCahsa nodfA miC hand
andS onSse,c undeSraalbJaaardn ;Mg u seuHmy,d aebraNda;t ional
Libr,Ca arlycuAtstiaa;St oicci oefBt eyn gal, CCharlWicrsui tgthat;,
RoyAanlt hropoIlnosgtiicstatulaot ffetf ;h Ien dOifafi cLei braanrdy
RecoLrodnsd,so tnfaof;f t hlei broaftr hye SocfOh roioelan ntAdaf lr ican
SutdiLeosn,d Aonni;t a UHneirvleerM,su isteyuo mfA rchaeaonldo gy
Anthroyp,Co almobgriEdlgiez;a Ebdewtahr ds, PMiutste uRmi,v ers
OxfoHradr;Pr eyr saMuuds,e uomfM ankiLnodn,d Toenr;Br ayr greirn,
RoyCaolm monweSaolctyih;Le itonCealr tCeern,t orfSe o uAtshi an
StudCiaemsb,r iFdogre .h isr ee-xpophgeorrtaItpm huyst th aPnakuF lo x.
6
Noteo nT ransliteration
Int hien teroefas ctcse ssIih baivolemi ittyat ledldi acrmiatrikcsa l
anhda vaed daendE ngl'ists'oh mpalkuer wahlesra ep propriate.
Ia polotgoIi nzdeir aena d'eSrihssu'. s efdos ra n$d;a n'dc hfho'r
aspir'acthIeh' da. vf eo rsackoenns iswtheenrtcehy wi osu ld
confwliitcchto mmonulsyef do rmTsh.eG lossianrcyl ufduelsl
tranesrlaittoifos ntsa ndHairndwd oir ds.
7
Preface
Myt itClaeme,r a Inidsai mcoan,og t htehri nagnas l lutsoiC oanm ­
erLau icdat,hE en glish-ltarnagnusalogafRet o iloanBn adr thLeas 's
ChamrbeC laiwrhei,cp'hl aaynsi mporrtoalnet ilant pttaheroretf
thibso oHko.w evwehri,al cek nloewdgmiynd ge bttoa k ewyo rokn
phootgrapIhh ya,v e tarlisteooed x teBnadr thceosn'csei rnntason
ethnogrraepahlimc wwhheamrtae t tiesr stn hopete rsoannapdlr i­
vatree adionftg hse anaplhysottr oabgpuhitym 'psao cnt tehvee ryday
lioffaes ociTehtiyes.x plamiyan tst enttoti hoseno cpiraalc tices in
whicphh ootgraipseh myb edadnemddy a ttetmope ltu cidate the per­
spectoifpv heoostg rapahnedr st chleiieornn t sti hmea greesp roduced
in tbhoiosk .
Minieso nlayp artial tdoet fhceear nenoocnfwe r itoinnp gh oto­
grapthhyo,u agnhd, tihsaet rwei stth teii nt Altte h.ve e rmyo ment
ofg enufleIac ltswioao nntt,om ovaew afyr otmh ien susleacru orfi ty
thEeu ro-Amecruilctrauenrg ailto hnge-r ouunpdow nh icnhe arallyl
worokn p hotroagphhayb se ebnu iltt.h itBswu itcs rte,a ted by my
hybridw ittiihtt sl eb orteafneircteaotnl hc peel atcheac to ncemren s
mosItn,d riuan,ts h rei sokfb eimnigs tafkoearnn a tteamtpt ta xo­
nomyc,l oas seyds toefm catwergaoprpiuepeid snt hgeu iosfce h ang­
inpgr actTihciiessd. e cidneomltyy i ntenftoiwroh naI,ti nf act try
toc hairntt h feo llopwaignaegrss e o maes peocftt hsce o mplcehxag n­
inegc oglyoo fp hootgraphy.
Twoe xpericeonnctuersti etbdot hlei noef reasoninign pursued
thbioso akn adr weo rbtrhi emfleyn tioWnhienIngfi .r sstt ardtoeidn g
fieldwionr1 k89 2i nB hatdiasa,uv illiang ec eInntdriIafa lo, u nd
mysetlafk iwnhga Itp ercetiovb eetd w od iffetryepnoetfsp ho­
togr:ao pnhesfso mry sealnfdo nefso vri llaTgheepr hsto.o graIp hs
wantteotd a kaett hatti mwee rIet ,h ougchatn,dr iedv,e aelxipnrge,s ­
sivoeft hpee opIwl aes livinIgw aaspm uornsgut.ih nqegu otidian
shadoofw wPhlautt aornccpheo werfduelslcyr ibed as 'the signs of
thseo uilnm en'Ir. e2c taalkli ahn agl f-liemnaggotefh nmeyi ghbour
Bheruwlhailcs he emteohd a ve sofot mheeq suea liWteih easgd.o ne
toh ifise ldsh iwbsey l alta rou5n pd. .ma,g ootdi mteoc apttuhree
effoeftc htme e llowsiunnTg.h ep riwnhti,cI hh a pdr oceasnssdee dn t
bacfkr otmh e sUeKe,m epde rtfoe ccatplthyui rse mivsocuchshi aer­
actTehre.wr aesa t winiknhl iee sy e tahnsedl isghhatd tohwah tu ng
ono nes idoefh ifsa ce hgiamav nea ppraotpgerr iavfiothrye ,w as
ane ssentsiearlilioynu dse,te odr tumraenHd.i psu rsmeodu th and
8
upripgohstt aulrsseoe emteocd a pthuiraset tetmopi tm possoem e
ord,ie ofrn lfyoa rm omenatsh, ew asa lwamyust teirnie nxga spera­
tioTnh.e rwea asm ellowanbeostusht ie m agaeh ,o molboegtyw een
thlee ngthsehnaidnogaw tts h ipse acefuolfd atayin mBdeh reulal's
attetmopfi tn dt rqatnii,tl lhiaIptt ay rutliacrlliyk Beudit. td i ndo t
appetaoBl h eruwlhaot, whhee ns apwr tichnoetm ,p laaibnoeudt the
shadaonwtd h dea rkniectsa ss t hoifvsae crae n tdh aeb seonftc eh e
lowhearlo ffh ibso dTyh.ei mawgea s oufs en hoti oma nds,l ightly
shakIep nr,o mitsheaIdwt o ulsdo otna kabe e trtm,e oraep propriate,
one.
Iw ast ob er eminodfBe hdre ulailr'rsi taatht iiison nc ompclaept­e
ture wsheevney,re aallr asrt ,Iel istteonpe rdo fessstiuodpnihaool ­
tograpihnte hrnese artboyw onf N agdjao kitnhga t village clients
woulrde futsope a tyh feu flele afnoyrt hoitnhgte hra anf ull-length
portr'aIi owtni.ll yl ygoiauvq eu arotfte hrfe e et/h ewyo ulsda( yo r
sot hpeh toogracplhearism edL 'baeq cuaaurostfmee e rh o ancslo ym e
out'',wI i olrl, onhlaylf toph raa ylap fo es'.
Thep htoogratphhavsti l lawgaenrtmsee d ttaok wee rvee rdyi ffer­
enftr otmh e Iot noeoo kfB heruTlhaels.e ncoobtuet l adk qeuni ckly
sintchee re werep rleepnagrtathtobyi e om nasd ec:l otthoeb se
changheadit,rob eb rusahneoddi l(ead,ni dnt hcea soefu ppre-caste
wometnh,ae p plicoaftt ailocpnuo mw dteolr i ghtthesenk iTnh)e.s e
photost obh efa udl l-laensndgy tmhm etricapla,s saeinxvdpe r,te hse­
sionflaecsaesns db odpyo sseysm bolfiozmree d,a tt hatti mteh,e
extinguoifps rheicnigts heaqltuy a lIiw tiys hteocd a ptounrfi el m.
Thes ecoenxdp eriweansc edt ihsec oovfae p rhyoo tgraaplhb um
compiblye dmg yr andfwahtihaleB err itsioslhdi ine rId nudriitanh ge
SceonWdo rlWda rA.m idt hdee pictoifso tnrse et-atsrcaedteircss,
('raocbaCta-lcuatrtmamy'o )t,o rbainksden sa ckhea-rrms(e n'askes
alivwea!sa' ni) m agoefap loughsmialnh ouaegtatitenhdsse ti nking
sunH.o we vocaotfBi hvaet diaIs,t u hougOhntt h.re e veirnss pei,d ery
bluwer itainnndge xttoa s tawmph icsha i'dD e SilvaJ'hsa nS­tudio,
sia nLdu cknowwe'rt,eh weo rd'st hpiisc tiusIr ned iIwa a'ss. t ruck
byt hsei milaorfti htiiisme asgt eo soofmP ee tHe.rE m ersspo hno'­
togriachp ehroiciozfar t88iooEsn assA tn gliaagnr icultaunrda lists
pondeorneh do wt hees sentiaolfsi uzcaihtm iaogner su roIafnl d ia,
filtered fRruosmka inJnWdo i hlnl iMoarmr biyws a yo fG eorBgier d­
woodJ,o hLno ckwKoiopdl inMga haantdGm aan dhrie/fl ecstiemd­
a
ilcaorm plperxo coefsc su ltucroamlia nng-d g oirnagt,hl eirkt eh e
Venetiabne atodrnsac deeex porftreoIdmt atloAy f riacnnado ws,e v­
ercaelt nurliaeetsrr ,e -exptooEr utreodap neAd m eriacssa i gns of an
ancieexnotAt fircai 4.Ac lthoiung hB haIth iasbdue deaans keds ebvy-
9
erahla li(sp loughmteonp )h otogrtahpehm a tw orka ndw asl atteor
encountseerv erlaolc alplryo ducpehdo togratpahksed nu rintgh ef es­
tivaolfD ivaliinw hichv illagpeorsse wdi tht heibru llBsh,e rulal's
complaianbtosu tth ed egreoefs hadowwo ulhda veb eena sn othing
comparteodt heo utrawghei cht her adiccaoln traosfta sD e Silva's
Studpihoo togrwaopuhl hda vper ovokIendt .h aitm agael sli gnosft he
individpulaolu ghmwaenr ee ffacaenddh ew asr enderaesad s imple
embleomf n oblreu stliacb our.
Thibso oki sa na ttemtpotc onsidqeure stisouncsah s t her elation­
shibpe tweepnh otograapnhdia wc i decru ltuprraalc titcheed, i fferent
kindosfw orkt hatth e' facaen'dt he' bodayr'er equirteodd o w ithin
differpehnott ogratprhaidci titohneds i,f ferweanytsi n whipchho ­
tograyp chomes bteop rivileagse evdi denocfe intearnndea xlt ernal
states,h oawnt dh ep articvuilsaurra ela liatsys ociawtietdhp articu­
laprl acceosm etso b es oc onstituTtheeds.ae r ev astto piacnsd I a m
abloen ltyo s katoev emra nya specotfst hemH.o wevebry,f ocusing
ont hree 'momiennt thsep' u blpihco tograrpehpirce sentoaftt ihoen
face tahnebd o diyn I ndiIaa i mt os uggetshtr,o utghhed eploymeonft
thesvea riofursa gmenstosm,e thionftg h ec omplesxo cialo flp ihfoe­
tography.
Int hew ordosf A rjuAnp padurIaw ia,n tt of olltohwe ' concrheitse­
toriccailr culaotfiio mna'g easn dt racteh e 'mean.i.ni.gn ss criibne d
theifro rms, utsheesit,rh eitrr ajectoIrfpi heost'o.g'r aaprheis n deed
usualmlayd ei ntos omethimnogr et hanm ere' chemicadlilsy­
colourpeadp erw'h,a ta ret hef orctehsa cto nstrtuhcetm i nttoh is,
6
rathtehra nt hata,n dh ow doest hi'"sh angteh rougthi met,h rough
politipcoasli titohnr,o ugh 'cutlhtruoruegc'hl, a sHso?w do pho­
tographs' egnetta ngilned di'f'f erseynstt ems?
IO
Prologue
...e venw hent hep roductoifot nh ep ictuirsee n tirdeellyi veorveedtr o
thea utomatiosftm h ec amertah,e t akinogft hep ictuirsse t ialc lh oice
involvaiensgt heatnidce thical viafli,un te hse:a bstratchten, a turaen d
developmoefnp th otographic techntooml aokgeye vteernydt hoibnjge c­
tive'lpyh otographiatib ssl tei'tl,rl u teh atf,r oma mongt het heoretically
infinintuem bero fp hotograwphhisc ha ret echnicaplolsys ibelaec,h
groucph oosaefi sn itaen dw ell-defirnaendgo efs ubjecgtesn,r aensd c om­
positions.'
Thei ndustrtoiwanlo fN agdai se xacthlayl f-wbaeyt weeBno mbay
andD elhAi .j ournoefay b outtw elvheo urbsy F rontMiaeirol r D ehra
DunE xpress btrhietn rgasv eltlote hri ssp rawlsientgt lement centred
arounad v astte xtialnedc hemicpalla notn t heb ankosf t heR iver
ChambaPla.r altloet lh e railwaryu nlsJi anwea har Marlga,r gtehset
commercial osftwfrh eiectNh,a gdam'asi nb azacaarn b ef ounNde.a r
ther ailwsatya tiaorneo ldehro useasn ds hopdsa tifngr omN agda's
pre-indusetxriisatlei nnct eh er 9soasn,d a so new alkfsu rtheears t,
pasvte getasbtlael tlesas, h opasn dt hossee llibnigc ycliersr,i gation
pumpsa ndc arp artosn,e p assevsa riopuhso tograpphreermsi's es.
Firisstt heV enuSst udioou,t siwdhei csht andasw omani na tennis
skirt hoalb doixno gfK onica fialnmdf, u rthaelro ntgh is same road,
on theo thesri des,a ndwichbeedt weean s tationaenrd'a s k hadi
(homespun treexttaiililese)t r h,es malslh opf ronotfS uresPha njabi,
thep roprioetfSo urh aSgt udio.
Likmeo sto ft hes ixm ains tudiionsN agdaS,u haSgt uddiios plsa y
a mixtuorfet heiorw nw orka ndp ublicsihtoytd si stribbuytl eodc al
colour-procsetsusdiinwoghs i,c ha rel ocatiendt hen earbcyi tioefs
Ujjaainnd I ndorBey.t hes idoef a ndb ehintdh el oww hitfeo rmica
deskat t hef ronotft hes hopa dvertisemfeonrMt isd aCso loSrt udio
leaapt t hev ieweTrh.e s ame modaeplp eairnst woi magecsl utching
am atka( earthenwwaatreepr o to)ft hes orwth icihs s tiwlild eluys ed
throughvoiultl aIgned i(ai ulsl.r ) .I nb othi magetsh em odell easn
againtshtep oth,e rh andesm phasiztihnegh omologbye tweetnh e
curveosft hep ota ndh ero wnf orm siunc ha w ayt haetr oticainsdm
fecundairteay l ssou ggestBeudt. tthweo e lemenotfst hep ictuarree
potensti gnifioefrt sh er uraaln do ft raditaisow ne llT.h roughout
Indiac'osl liswiiotnh c olonialwiosmma,n asa figureh asb een
continuraelilnyv enatsea d r epositoofar nyi nteripourr,ea rn dm ore
II
r Coloupru blicpihtoyt ogriaspshu beydM idaCso loSrt udio.
12