India through the Lens: Photography 1840-1911

At the Turn of the Millennium, photography is ubiquitous and unquestioned. A century and a half ago however, notes curator and scholar Vidya Dehejia, "the simple ability to produce a photograph was in itself a marvel… The early decades of the nineteenth century witnessed the pursuit of a dream, an obsession with cajoling nature into a miraculous reflection upon a surface where it would be captured and retained for all time." India was at the vanguard of the explosion of photography; both Indian and foreigner (mainly British) strove to document and reveal the Indian landscape, people, and architecture. The essays in this book reveal the history and importance of photography in India, from the appeal of the panorama to the documentation of people, places, and princes-and to the outstanding Indian photographer, Lala Deen Dayal, who was unique in being esteemed by both the world of the British and the world of princely India. This book appeals to specialists and nonspecialists alike-all those who love early photography or British India are bound to enjoy India Through the Lens.