Photos! Raja Deen Dayal: Revealed
Submitted by maeve on May 15, 2013 - 6:09am
Last Thursday, the Royal Ontario Museum hosted the launch of Raja Deen Dayal: Artist-Photographer in Nineteenth-Century India, an exciting new publication by ROM Senior Curator Dr. Deepali Dewan and art historian Dr. Deborah Hutton of The College of New Jersey. Raja Deen Dayal (1844–1905) was the first Indian photographer to gain international renown. A pioneer of flash photography, his images beautifully captured the architecture, landscape and people of India. At the time of his death, Dayal had owned three studios and produced over 30,000 photographs.
Thursday's sold-out event, attended by Dayal's great-great grandson, featured a talk by Rahaab Allana, curator of The Alkazi Collection of Photography in New Delhi. Allana gave an overview of the history of Indian photography, drawing comparisons between past and current practice. Dr. Dewan and Dr. Hutton then took to the stage to speak about their research (which began over ten years ago) and to offer insight into Dayal's success, highlighting the vital role he played in creating a new identity for India.
The book is a companion to Between Princely India and the British Raj: The Photography of Raja Deen Dayal, one of the ROM's newest exhibits, which is on display until January 12, 2014.
Click on a thumbnail below to access an image gallery of the event.
