Stirring visuals have always textured our understanding of history, and the landmark exhibition on photography from the house of DAG, Histories in the Making: Photographing Indian Monuments 1855-1920, takes us through the corridors of such carefully preserved memories that have shaped our perceptions and given texture to our imaginations.
These precious picks — some of the earliest photographs of archaeological intent — find expression on the walls at this exhibition that spotlights the photography of notable Indian monuments during the latter half of the 19th century. Plucked from depths of the DAG archives, each image tells a sepia story. There is an umbilical link between the captures and the field surveys conducted in ancient India, and each photograph brings in a layered connection with the present day by breathing life into the chronicled past.
The collection knits together the fields of politics, archaeology, and academics through the progression of the visual narrative. British India was the first country beyond the realm of Europe to have professional photographic studios. There were many meritorious hands in the country, lauded globally, for shaping the visual sensibilities of their audiences and fusing cultural insights with scientific advances.
Famous British photographers of the era brought forward a well-groomed gaze at the happenings while the images clicked by their Indian counterparts fleshed out tiny layered details that added a sense of depth and dimension to each inclusion in the…
Shilpi Madan for Deccan Herald