The Costumes and people of India

Physical description

A group of nine portrait photographs showing different types of headgear all mounted together. Each person is identified according to his 'ethnic type' and this is written below the photograph on the mount.
From left to right the top three images are of a 'Mogul', a 'Munshi', an 'Arab Jemadar'. The next row is an 'Arab Horse dealer', a 'Sikh' and a 'Byraghy'. The final row has a 'phorud', a 'parsee boy' and a 'parsee girl'.

Place of Origin

India (south, made)

Date

ca. 1860 (made)

Artist/maker

W. W. Hooper and Surgean G. Western (artists)

Materials and Techniques

Albumen prints

Dimensions

Height: 18.6 cm image of the Sikh, Width: 12.2 cm image of the Sikh

Object history note

This photograph group of photographs was probably part of a set of 'forty-five photographs of native heads' displayed in the London International Exhibition in 1871.

Historical context note

The photography of 'native types' began as early as 1848-9 with John McCosh's calotypes of Sikhs and Madras men, and in 1856 the 'Indian Amateurs Photographic Album' became the first publication to use a series of such photographs to depict the 'Costume and Characters of Western India'. Individuals were shown in costumes or with objects identifying their caste or trade group, and illustrated racial differences as well as regional variations in dress. This photograph group of photographs was probably part of a set of 'forty-five photographs of native heads' displayed in the London International Exhibition in 1871.

Descriptive line

A group of nine photographs from 'The Costumes and People of India'.

Bibliographic References (Citation, Note/Abstract, NAL no)

Stronge, Susan (ed). The Arts of the Sikh Kingdoms, V&A Publications, London, 1999, Plate230.

Exhibition History

The Art of the Sikh Kingdoms (01/01/0003-25/07/1999)

Materials

Paper; Albumen

Subjects depicted

Costume

Categories

Photographs

Collection code

SSEA