Page 422 - Art and Crafts of Bangladesh

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PHOTOGRAPHY

a. (1840-1970)
Anupam Hayat

1.0 Introduction
Photography, one of the most important and fascinating inventions of science, began
its journey in the Indian subcontinent in March 1840. Within four years, photography
1
was initiated in Kolkata, the most important city of undivided Bengal. In Dhaka,
photography took wings in the decade of the 1850s.
2.0 Photography in Undivided Bengal
2.1 Initiation, Practice and Development
The Daguerreotype camera was first exhibited in Paris, the capital of France, in
September 1839. Within seven months of this event, the Daguerreotype camera was
2
imported in the Indian subcontinent in Mumbai in March 1840. Thacker and Company
of Kolkata first advertised the import of such cameras in 1840. F.M. Montairo of
Kolkata is proven to be the first photographer of the Indian subcontinent. On July 6,
1844, he placed an advertisement in the Englishman newspaper offering his service to
go door-to-door to do photography. The first photograph in India was taken by
Inspector-General Jules Itier, of the tax department of France. It is recorded that he
photographed in Pondichery between December 1843 and November 1844. 3
An anonymous photographer is recorded to have practiced photography in calotype
and ‘photogenic drawing’ techniques in 1843. Paul Walter, the famous art collector of
New York collected the photographs and diaries of this anonymous photographer. Dr.
F.J. Mouat, mentioned Josaiah Rowe, the first President of Bengal Photographic
Society, as the father of Indian photography. He is also said to be the earliest
photographer of Kolkata. The existence of a professional photographer in Kolkata,
4
named Schranzhofer, is known through an advertisement on November 2, 1848 in the
newspaper Friends of India. Within 1851 another foreigner, named J.W. Newland, set
5
up a studio in Kolkata and acquired both success and fame. All of these photographers
6
were foreigners. Dr. Narayen Dajee of Bombay is recorded to be the first amateur
photographer of the Indian subcontinent. 7
East India Company took the initiative to start photography in India in 1855-57 for