Windows to the Past

From the idyllic architectural views of the 1850s to emotive portraiture of the early 20th century, an exhibition chronicles early photography in India.

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Raja Deen Dayal’s photo of the Maharaja of Bijawa.

Arguably the first to photograph the Taj Mahal, John Murray turned his camera on several other Mughal monuments in the region as well. During the 40 years that he was in Agra, the Scottish-born doctor recorded many famous monuments, also documenting sites of military interest to the British and frames that depicted their might. His preoccupation with both the engagements is now evident at 33, Cork Street, London. Among the 26 photographs in the exhibition “The New Medium: Photography in India 1855-1930”, there is Murray’s Taj, behind its magnificent gardens, and another albumen print of a pyramid of cannonballs piled in front of the Pearl mosque in Agra — reflecting a period of reinvigorated British colonial dominance. “One of the oldest photographs in the exhibition, taken in 1858, is also historically significant as it was taken shortly after the Indian rebellion; it shows how the mosque was used as an arsenal,” says Prahlad Bubbar, London-based collector of Indian and Islamic art, curator and owner of the collection.

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The oldest print on display is a 1855 photograph of the caves of Karlie in Maharashtra. The photographer is William Johnson, founding member of the Bombay Photographic Society, who collaborated with William Henderson in the 1850s to publish a monthly journal Indian Amateurs Photographic Album, illustrated with albumen prints. In the South, meanwhile, photographing the landscape and architecture were John and James Nicholas. The exhibition has their print of the tomb of Tipu Sultan and Hyder Ali and a passage of the temple of Kilipputtu Muntapam. “Sites associated with Tipu were of particular interest to the British, who viewed him as a formidable and worthy opponent in the Mysore wars of the late 18th century,” notes Bubbar.

The tomb of Tipu Sultan and Hyder Ali.

There is the celebrated court painter Raja Deen Dayal too. Bubbar has possibly one of his earliest works; an exquisite print of the famed temple of Khajuraho, dating back to the early 1880s, when he toured Bundelkhand with Sir Lepel Griffin. Dayal became the official photographer to the sixth Nizam of Hyderabad, and was one of the practitioners of photographic portraits that replaced miniature paintings as a medium for historical documentation. The exhibition has Dayal’s portrait of the Maharaja of Bijawar surrounded by his court; also a 1894 print of the three princes from Gwalior seated before a painted vista on leather chairs with ornamental drapery and flowers. “Images of children were a particular test for the photographer, who needed to ensure that there was as little movement during exposure as possible,” says Bubbar.

Murray’s photograph of the Pearl Mosque.

While the domestic practitioners were thriving, the royalty also hired celebrated world photographers. So among the rare prints is a Yashwantrao Holkar II portrait by the legendary American artist Man Ray — symbolic of the growing influence of modernism as well the increased cultural exchange between India and the West.

Vandana Kalra

Vandana Kalra is an art critic and Deputy Associate Editor with The Indian Express. She has spent more than two decades chronicling arts, culture and everyday life, with modern and contemporary art at the heart of her practice. With a sustained engagement in the arts and a deep understanding of India’s cultural ecosystem, she is regarded as a distinctive and authoritative voice in contemporary art journalism in India. Vandana Kalra's career has unfolded in step with the shifting contours of India’s cultural landscape, from the rise of the Indian art market to the growing prominence of global biennales and fairs. Closely tracking its ebbs and surges, she reports from studios, galleries, museums and exhibition spaces and has covered major Indian and international art fairs, museum exhibitions and biennales, including the Venice Biennale, Kochi-Muziris Biennale, Documenta, Islamic Arts Biennale. She has also been invited to cover landmark moments in modern Indian art, including SH Raza’s exhibition at the Centre Pompidou in Paris and the opening of the MF Husain Museum in Doha, reflecting her long engagement with the legacies of India’s modern masters. Alongside her writing, she applies a keen editorial sensibility, shaping and editing art and cultural coverage into informed, cohesive narratives. Through incisive features, interviews and critical reviews, she brings clarity to complex artistic conversations, foregrounding questions of process, patronage, craft, identity and cultural memory. The Global Art Circuit: She provides extensive coverage of major events like the Kochi-Muziris Biennale, Serendipity Arts Festival, and high-profile international auctions. Artist Spotlights: She writes in-depth features on modern masters (like M.F. Husain) and contemporary performance artists (like Marina Abramović). Art and Labor: A recurring theme in her writing is how art reflects the lives of the marginalized, including migrants, farmers, and labourers. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) Her recent portfolio is dominated by the coverage of the 2025 art season in India: 1. Kochi-Muziris Biennale & Serendipity Arts Festival "At Serendipity Arts Festival, a 'Shark Tank' of sorts for art and crafts startups" (Dec 20, 2025): On how a new incubator is helping artisans pitch products to investors. "Artist Birender Yadav's work gives voice to the migrant self" (Dec 17, 2025): A profile of an artist whose decade-long practice focuses on brick kiln workers. "At Kochi-Muziris Biennale, a farmer’s son from Patiala uses his art to draw attention to Delhi’s polluted air" (Dec 16, 2025). "Kochi Biennale showstopper Marina Abramović, a pioneer in performance art" (Dec 7, 2025): An interview with the world-renowned artist on the power of reinvention. 2. M.F. Husain & Modernism "Inside the new MF Husain Museum in Qatar" (Nov 29, 2025): A three-part series on the opening of Lawh Wa Qalam in Doha, exploring how a 2008 sketch became the architectural core of the museum. "Doha opens Lawh Wa Qalam: Celebrating the modernist's global legacy" (Nov 29, 2025). 3. Art Market & Records "Frida Kahlo sets record for the most expensive work by a female artist" (Nov 21, 2025): On Kahlo's canvas The Dream (The Bed) selling for $54.7 million. "All you need to know about Klimt’s canvas that is now the most expensive modern artwork" (Nov 19, 2025). "What’s special about a $12.1 million gold toilet?" (Nov 19, 2025): A quirky look at a flushable 18-karat gold artwork. 4. Art Education & History "Art as play: How process-driven activities are changing the way children learn art in India" (Nov 23, 2025). "A glimpse of Goa's layered history at Serendipity Arts Festival" (Dec 9, 2025): Exploring historical landmarks as venues for contemporary art. Signature Beats Vandana is known for her investigative approach to the art economy, having recently written about "Who funds the Kochi-Muziris Biennale?" (Dec 11, 2025), detailing the role of "Platinum Benefactors." She also explores the spiritual and geometric aspects of art, as seen in her retrospective on artist Akkitham Narayanan and the history of the Cholamandal Artists' Village (Nov 22, 2025). ... Read More

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