Photo Albums as a Link Among Maratha Princely States

Presenter:

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Abstract

At the turn of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, photo portraits of Indian princes and picturesque views of their domains presented in photo albums had become a mandatory object of colonial discourse. As a diplomatic go-between, the mounted pictures assembled under a leather cover decorated in gold stood as expressions of the subordinates’ loyalty, intended to evoke the sympathy of the authorities, and as a visual and material argument of sovereignty. Usually timed to the schedule of viceregal tours of the respective regions, these ‘welcome’ albums were manufactured by established photo firms, who competed for their commission. The states, especially those of meagre size and wealth, also tried their best to receive high guests and drew their attention by showcasing local places of interest and announcing new projects. In addition to their other affinities and connections, the Maratha states of Central India built a shared aesthetic style by occasionally calling upon the services of the same photographers. These included the No 1 Indian photographer, Lala Deen Dayal, who, at the start of his career, worked under the patronage of both influential Indore and tiny Dhar. Starting with albums presented in 1902 and 1912 by the ruler of Dhar to two viceroys of India, and the copies of the second one given to another viceroy in 1922 (all now in repositories in the UK), I plan to elaborate on the Maratha princes’ involvement in the multifaceted ritual of gift-giving and their contribution to the preservation of ancient monuments strategy facilitated by the circulation of princely photo albums.