Travel Through Indian History With Photographs From The Sarmaya Collection

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We’ve studied about our past in school, seen it in movies, and read about it in several tomes — but nothing sparks the imagination as much as a photograph does. Now, images from Paul Abraham’s Sarmaya Collection gives you a chance to go back in time and experience India’s history from 1857 onwards. Curated by Madhavan Pillai and designed by conservation architect Abha Narain Lambah, the exhibition Portrait of a Nation, A Nation in Portraits — 19th Century Photography of the Indian Subcontinent, will enlighten viewers on the culture, architecture, historical events, portraiture and even photographic styles of 19th and 20th century India.

Photographs by maestros Felice Beato, Samuel Bourne and Raja Deen Dayal dominate the showcase, and are a window into India’s glorious past. ‘The exhibition seeks to redefine and diversify the meaning and relevance of portraits and the nation apart from the classical connotations, which existed in the 19th century and now,’ says Pillai. Here’s your chance to travel through time and walk into the pages of our country’s history.

Portrait of a Nation, A Nation in Portraits — 19th Century Photography of the Indian Subcontinent from the Sarmaya Collection is on display at Pundole’s, Mumbai (Hamilton House, 8 JN Heredia Marg, Ballard Estate) until February 28, 2018.