Page 429 - Art and Crafts of Bangladesh

426 ART AND CRAFTS

20th century. However, the address or establishment date of this studio has not been
found. The name has been discovered in two mounted photographs in an album
belonging to the Choudhury family of 30/5 Zindabahar Lane of Old Dhaka. The name
of another studio ‘Lab Dhaka’ has been found in another old photograph possessed by
this family. This studio existed in Dhaka in the beginning of the 20th century. In 1910,
a photographic studio named ‘R.C. Das and Sons’ was located at 16 Nawabpur Road,
Dhaka. An advertisement published on 3 March, 1934 in the weekly Chabuk claimed
this studio to be the first and only studio in Dhaka and that it was established in 1910.
Camera films, plates, paper etc. were sold here. A studio called ‘Dos and Company’
38
existed at 81, Nawabpur Raod, Old Dhaka. At present another photographic studio
named ‘Zoom Studio’ exists in its place. Rajeshwar Ray is known to have been the
proprietor of this studio set up in 1932. ‘Dos and Company’ ceased to exist in the
seventies. There is a shop named ‘Dhaka Musical Mart’ at the south of Victoria Park,
Dhaka. Photographs are taken in this shop even though the name is related to music.
Musical instruments were sold here during the 30s, at its inception. Later it was
converted into a photography store. Other than these, during 1910-1940 Capfiz, Fritz
Kapp’s studio, Khwaja Afzal’s studio (in Armanitola), Khwaja Solayman’s studio
(near Ahsan Manzil), Technical Art Studio, Star Studio etc. existed in Dhaka.
2.5 Photojournalism
‘A picture says a thousand words’, even though this old adage is not the last word in
photography, no better or more acceptable saying about photography has been coined.
Photography is the exact evidence of time and the news gives an account of
contemporary events. Technical achievements of modern science have created a
wonderful synthesis between the two. Hence, watching news, as well as knowing
news, has gained importance.
Besides printing, typesetting, half-tone block prints were utilized in The New York Daily
fig. 10.2 Photograph by Telegraph in 1880. For the first time news accompanied by photographs were published
H. Bose during in The Daily Mirror of London in 1904. Later The Illustrated Daily News began to be
movement against published in NewYork illustrated with photographs in 1919. In the Indian subcontinent
Bangabhanga The Illustrated Weekly of India of Bombay initiated photojournalism.
In 1882, an illustrated monthly was
published under the title Ramdhanu. Surya
Narayan Ghosh was the editor of this
illustrated magazine on art and science. He
was the lab-chemist of Dhaka College. A
39
monthly journal with pictures named
Sachitra Krishi Shiksha, edited by
Kalikumar Munshi, was published from
Dhaka in 1887. Sachitra Gan O Galpa, a
40
monthly journal with pictures, edited by
Banku Bihari Das, was published from
Sylhet in 1895. 41