Description

A formal studio portrait of an unidentified Indian gentleman standing beside an elaborately carved studio pedestal. He is dressed in a dark kurta with white churidar trousers, a patterned shoulder shawl, and leather shoes, while a decorative watch chain or fob reflects the growing influence of European fashions among affluent Indians during the nineteenth century. The restrained composition, painted backdrop, and carefully arranged studio furnishings are characteristic of Bourne & Shepherd’s early portrait work. Founded in 1863, Bourne & Shepherd became the foremost photographic studio in British India, producing portraits of Indian nobility, merchants, professionals, and British colonial officials. This carte de visite represents the firm’s high-quality commercial portraiture during its formative decades.

Condition

Albumen print with good tonal range and overall clarity. Moderate age toning and light surface wear. Mount with rounded corners, scattered soiling, and a vertical crack extending upward from the lower right edge into the mount, not significantly affecting the image. Verso with light foxing, handling wear, and pencil inventory notations.

References

Falconer, John. India: Pioneering Photographers 1850–1900. London: The British Library, 2001.

Karlekar, Malavika. Think Small: Carte de Visites, Cabinet Cards & Travelling Portraits. Sarmaya Arts Foundation.

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

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