Description

Full-length studio portrait of a European man standing at attention in military or cantonment service uniform, photographed by A. Nath & Co., whose studio was located in the Regimental Bazaar of the Rawalpindi Cantonment, Punjab. The image reflects the thriving commercial photography trade that served British military personnel stationed in one of the largest cantonments of the British Raj. The sitter remains unidentified, but the formal pose and uniform suggest service in the colonial military or associated administrative establishment. Rawalpindi was a major strategic garrison and transportation hub in northern India during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.  

Condition

Albumen or early silver gelatin print mounted on the original cabinet card. Moderate overall wear with edge and corner rubbing, scattered surface marks, minor abrasions, and light soiling to the mount. Photographer’s imprint remains clear and legible. Overall in good antique condition.

References

Falconer, John. The Photographer’s India: From the 1850s to the 1940s. London: British Library, 2001.

Gordon, Colin. A Century of Indian Photography, 1840–1940. London: Sotheby’s Publications, 1979.

Worswick, Clark. The Last Empire: Photography in British India, 1855–1911. New York: Aperture, 1976.

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