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Adorning the Shivalinga

Photograph
1950s-1960s (made), 1990s (printed)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Here a male worshipper places flowers on and adorns the Shiva 'linga'. This is the symbolic form in which the Hindu god Shiva is worshipped.

The American photojournalist Frank Monaco (1917-2007) did not take up photography until the early 1950s. He visited India many times between 1965 and 2004 and took a series of photographs which document temples and the busy life in and around the temple sites. In his images Monaco manages to capture people worshipping and performing ritual ceremonies within the temple complex and beyond without being intrusive.


Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleAdorning the Shivalinga (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Black and white photograph
Brief description
'Adorning the Shivalinga', black and white photograph by Frank Monaco, India, 1950s-1960s, printed in 1990s
Physical description
This photographs is of a male worshipper placing flowers/adorning the Shivalinga. The black and white tiles that surround the linga create a dramatic pattern and in the background is a tile with an image of Ganesh on it.

Possibly the Maha Ganesh temple in Ujjain
Dimensions
  • Image height: 29.4cm
  • Image width: 20.4cm
  • Photographic paper height: 30.4cm
  • Photographic paper width: 24cm
Marks and inscriptions
Name of photographer stamped on back
Credit line
Given by Frank Monaco
Production
This print made in the 1990s. In a letter written to the museum after Frank Monaco’s death in 2007, his nephew, Oliver Morse wrote:

‘We believe that Frank visited India 16 times during the last 25 years of his life. His papers show that he went there for two weeks in February 2004, and we think that this was his final visit. From the 1950s up until about the year 2000 his camera of choice was the Leica. This remained his favourite camera, but in about 2000 he also started using a digital camera. At this time he also took with him on his trips a second separate digital camera loaded with colour film. This enabled him to photograph the same scene in colour within the same 5 minute period….’
Letter dated January 15th 2008 is in the Registered file: 1999/709

In a further letter dated 19th January 2008, his other nephew, Jonathan Morse, found a list of dates in his diary which he believes were the dates that Frank travelled to India.

The 19 dates are noted in the Registered file: 1999/709
Subjects depicted
Place depicted
Summary
Here a male worshipper places flowers on and adorns the Shiva 'linga'. This is the symbolic form in which the Hindu god Shiva is worshipped.

The American photojournalist Frank Monaco (1917-2007) did not take up photography until the early 1950s. He visited India many times between 1965 and 2004 and took a series of photographs which document temples and the busy life in and around the temple sites. In his images Monaco manages to capture people worshipping and performing ritual ceremonies within the temple complex and beyond without being intrusive.
Collection
Accession number
IS.154-2006

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Record createdOctober 9, 2006
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