Portrait of a city

Documentation of Visual Culture Studio Photography in Mumbai Ajitesh Lokhande, Graphic Design B.Des 2014, Semester 6

P O R T R A I T O F A C I T Y

In a quiet and quaint lane frozen in time, tucked away in the Ballard Estate area of Mumbai, lies a photo studio like no other. Read on to retrace their journey over the years.

Publication Design © 2017 Ajitesh Lokhande All Rights Reserved.

Photographs © 2017 Hamilton Studios, Ballard Estate, Mumbai © 2015 Supari Studios, Mumbai All Rights Reserved.

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PORTRAIT OF A CITY Life and Photography at Hamilton Studios, Bombay

Contents i Prologue 1 Background 4

City, Colony & Culture

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Painting with Light & Shadow

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Discoveries in the Dark Room

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Clientele & Camaraderie

42 Acknowledgements

Being under British colonial rule, early photography studios were mostly European endeavours.

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PROLOGUE At the turn of the 20th century, the medium of photography was rising steadily as a means of documenting life and history. Photography, which soon overtook painting as the medium for visual documentation and storytelling, was similar to painting in that it could only be afforded by the elite classes of the society. This limited access prevailed for most of the early days of this medium.

It was around this time that photography first arrived in Bombay. Being under British colonial rule, early photography studios were mostly European endeavours/ventures. Accordingly their services could only be afforded by the elite of the society or the government.

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There is one studio whose story and journey stood out amongst these and stood witness to the changes Bombay has gone through. It’s one of the few studios in the city that has survived this long and still practises the “craft” of photography to date.

In 1928, Sir Victor Sassoon founded this studio which came to be known as Hamilton studios.

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In 1928, Sir Victor Sassoon founded Hamilton Studios in Ballard Estate, Bombay.

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bACKGROUND

This course gave me the opportunity to revisit this nostalgia-filled phenomenon of photo albums and the whole culture of studio photography in Bombay. Both of which have been on a steep decline.

Earlier, having photographs taken on important days was a significant part of Indian culture.

Being from Bombay, photo studios were a ubiquitous sight. I remembered the yearly photo albums that my mother, grandmother and aunts would enthusiastically curate.

I visited our de facto family photo studio, Sai Leela studio in Bandra East. Ever since the rise of smart-phones, most of their clientèle’s need has been reduced to passport photographs.

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The same has been the case for the other regular studios I visited. Looking back, I realised a lot of these photo studios that have managed to survive to this day, past the heydays of studio photography culture which lasted from the 70s to the early 2000s, share a certain number of characteristics: - Most of the demand is for passport-size photographs. Other services include making photo albums, wedding albums and photo framing.

- These studios will most likely be located in close proximity to a driving school, a college, tuition classes, government offices or any other official setting that requires passport-size photographs.

- Some demand also comes from groups of college students wishing to get their picture clicked on the traditional day of the college.

It was against this background study that I finally paid a visit to one of Bombay’s oldest photo studios, “Hamilton”, located in Ballard Estate in South Bombay and established in 1928.

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CITY, COLONY & CULTURE Hamilton’s evolution Over the years

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with a love for photography started Hamilton studios. It Bombay was the witness to a lot of “firsts� was established in a building introduced by the British empire in India. The that was formerly a textile mill first railway line was built here and so was the and belonged to the period of first tram system. Along with infrastructural Victorian Architecture. introductions, Bombay was also the first to see the rise of technologies like photography and film. Dadasaheb Phalke who is considered to be a pioneer of Indian cinema shot the first Indian film in this city. It was in this context of exciting and emerging cultural scenarios that Victor Sassoon, a well-reputed entrepreneur

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Over the years, Hamilton acquired a reputation for its excellence and dedication towards the craft of photography. They were even appointed as the official photographers for the Bombay state by the government back then.

Because of the standards set by them, they have mostly catered to the upper echelons of the society. Here is a timeline tracing some key highlights in their clientèle over the years:

1920 - 1940 British Aristocracy Officers,Viceroys, Lords and other officials of the British colonial government along with their families were one of the primary clients during this period. In the photograph on the next page is Commander J. C. Reed of the Royal British Navy from colonial India, shot at the Hamilton Studios in the early 1930s.

Mr. Reed here wears a gold epaulette on his shoulder, with a star and a foul anchor which signified the rank of a Lieutenant Commander.

He also wears three medals, the 1914/1915 Star, the British War medal and the Victory medal respectively (from left to right).

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Along with a gold epaulette, Commander Reed here wears three medals, the 1914/1915 Star, the British War medal and the Victory medal respectively (from left to right).

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1920 - 1940 Royalty Monarchs of the princely states of India such as Gayatri Devi of Jaipur, the Nawab of Kathiawar and other royalty also frequented Hamilton. It is said that on such occasions, a red carpet was laid out for the dignitaries.

In the photograph on the next page is Sahibzada Abdul Gabbar Khan of Kathiawar and his Begum photographed in their elaborate and intricate wedding attire on October 10, 1939.

Photograph shot at the Hamilton Studios.

Sahibzada Abdul Gabbar Khan of Kathiawar and his Begum photographed in their elaborate and intricate wedding attire on October 10, 1939.

State Photographers As state photographers for the then-existing state of Bombay, they carried out official photo documentation of dams, architecture, tourist places and cultural aspects of the region.

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1930 - 1960 Political figures Esteemed Indian political figures such as Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Mahatma Gandhi and Dalai Lama were also photographed here.

Industrialists Generations of families such as the Tatas, the Godrejs and the Birlas were loyal clients during this period. Portraits of famous industrial figures such as JRD Tata, Homi Bhabha and their families were done by them.

Jehangir Ratanji Dadabhoy Tata.

Image shot in November, 1928.

Shot at Hamilton Studios, Mumbai.

This image was originally shot for being used as a passport photograph.

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1930 - 1960 Corporate Photography They had also started shooting interior spaces, product photography and event photography for catalogues, reports etc. taking on various companies in Bombay as clients.

The Hamilton Studios also took outdoor assignments, a major one among them being shooting products, spaces and architecture for big industrial groups and companies.

This image here was done for General Motors in November 1928.

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1960 - 1990 Bollywood Stars Although they had already shot bollywood personalities such as Madhubala and Nargis in the past, this period witnessed a spike in the number of bollywood actors being shot by them.

This included people like Zeenat Aman and Vinod Khanna. Zeenat Aman, brought by her mother for a portrait picture to be sent to potential suitors, started a career in modelling and soon became an established actor after Ranjit Madhavji, the owner of Hamilton Studios at the time, suggested that she had the potential to be a model.

Zeenat Aman came to the Hamilton Studios with her mother for portraits to be taken for matrimonial purposes.

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1990 - TODAY Tourists, Foreigners, Families In this period, when all the other studios had already begun dying out, Hamilton managed to sustain its clientele in the form of loyal families whom they had established a rapport with.

They also became popular amongst tourists and foreigners who were excited by the history and the legacy of the place.

Although the arrival of digital tools meant that their process had to keep up with the changing times, Hamilton has managed to keep their traditional aesthetics alive.

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Ms. Kate Slavin from Harper’s Bazaar magazine, New York, photographed very recently at the studio on December 29, 2016

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Hamilton - The Institution A key objective in my research and interviews was to find out how Hamilton had managed to flourish over the years. This might have been both because and in spite of its ways. The people who have run the studio have always looked at it not just as a commercial establishment, but as an “Institution�. This nature of the studio might be understood through a study of three key aspects, namely: Photography, Craft and Client Rapport.

The following sections look into each of these aspects.

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PAINTING WITH LIGHT & SHADOW Photography at Hamilton

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The art of framing, composing and taking a picture at Hamilton has some unique characteristics that make it stand out.

Portraiture has been and still is their forte.

Their expertise spans a whole range Individual portraits, Group portraits, Wedding portraits and Family portraits.

Minimalism The prevalent aesthetic of Hamilton’s contemporaries was a fusion of European and Indian sensibilities. This meant that there was a lot of embellishment done with props while shooting a subject. These props included flower vases, background paintings of a house/forest, lavish drapery, intricate ornamental furniture and more. As opposed to this, Hamilton was highly minimal in its approach and the focus was squarely on making it about the subject and nothing else.

Their intent has always been to bring out the personality and nature of the subject as much as possible. Quite evident from their current work, this minimalist aesthetic has been retained to this day.

the focus was squarely on making it about the subject and nothing else

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Painting with continuous light Hamilton’s usage of a twelve-light setup that provides continuous light to illuminate the subject is a unique method that stands out from the usual 2-4 light setup. A complete restriction on using flash lights also differentiates their technique.They look at photography as painting with light and shadow.

of the famous cameras they used back in the day included a 1928 Kodak field camera, Minolta and Speed Graphic.

Light, composition and mood were the most important things to them while planning a photograph.

An individual portrait session lasts about an hour and a half. Setting up the lighting itself takes an hour. They believe in building a rapport with each client and making them feel special. Some

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Professional Practices

They have a one-shot, sure-shot approach.

This means that there are no trial shots and every exposure is a well-planned and executed composition.

Some of the most famous cameras they used back in the day included a 1928 Kodak field camera

Hamilton’s reputation was established through its regard for professionalism. Taking an appointment is mandatory for every client no matter who they are. The time allotted to the client is dedicated entirely to them. While a shoot is in progress, only the subject and the photographer are allowed to be in the studio space. This is to ensure that the relation between the photographer and the subject isn’t interrupted at any point.

They also have a unique no-make-up policy for their clients as they believe every person must be represented as truthfully as possible in a photograph. Being highly adept at planning and consciously composing every frame, they are known for their oneshot, sure-shot approach. This means that there are no trial shots and every exposure is a well-planned and executed composition. In the earlier days, while this served the function of saving film, it also demonstrated their expertise and confidence while shooting.

Even today while they use digital cameras, they take no more than two shots. Retaining this principle in the digital age is surely no mean feat.

Their aim is to make a person completely at ease while taking a photograph. Ajita Madhavji, 23

“We know how to make our client smile, no matter who they are.”

Photograph of a certain Mr. Mehta’s son posing as an old man. Shot in the 1930s at Hamilton.

the current owner says, “we know how to make our client smile, no matter who they are.”

Taking photographs of babies and children, which is usually quite a task, comes just as naturally to them. This is seen through the perfect & angelic pictures they have clicked with children as subjects.

Experimentation Along with all the good old discipline and organisation, Hamilton also owes its fame to their experimentation with the medium of photography. For instance, they were most likely the only studio in India that used lights and a stencil known as a “GOBO” to create projections in the background of a photo.

These projections added a sort of halo behind the subject and has almost become a signature highlight of Hamilton’s portraiture.

Another instance of their experimentation was the precocious adoption of Bauhaus-esque

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Photographed with stencil and foliage projections using GOBO light. aesthetics in the form of the props that they used. These props were just basic shapes like cubes and hemispheres as opposed to the ornate furniture, vases and painted backgrounds used by most studios of the time.

Her Highness Mumtaz Mahal, Begum of Sachin, Gujarat

Thakorani Vijayalakshmi Devi Sahiba of Kotda Sangani, Gujarat.

These projections added a sort of halo behind the subjects and has almost become a signature highlight of Hamilton’s portraiture.

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DISCOVERIES IN THE DARK ROOM Photographic processing At Hamilton

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After taking a photograph comes the process of developing and printing it. Even though the adoption of digital technologies has reduced the amount of time spent in processing a photograph, Hamilton studios still prides itself in maintaining the same level of demand for detail and precision.

They are one of the few studios who offer clients rough proofs to choose from before taking a final print of the chosen photograph.

They are one of the few studios who offer clients rough proofs to choose from

While they had been practising traditional film development techniques to a T, what differentiated the studio was its additional offering of techniques such as hand-tinting, textured screen developing, restoration of mutilated photos and meticulous archiving of negatives.

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Hand-Tinting Some photographs from the studio belonging to the period of 1920s-1950s were coloured using a process known as “Hand-tinting�. This process involves meticulous colouring of a black and white image using special photographic water colours. The staff at Hamilton was known for its expertise in this process.

practises it herself and uses it for restoration of old photographs. Furthermore, they diligently preserve the originals of the hand-tinted photographs that the studio made earlier in the day so that the knowledge is passed on.

Although the demand for this technique is virtually non-existent now, Ajita Madhavji and her staff take great care of the materials and tools required for this process. Out of her own liking towards the technique, she even

This process involves meticulous colouring of a black and white image using special photographic water colours.

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Textured-Screen developing (Mortensen screen) Another rare technique that was pointed out to me during the interview was the use of ‘textured-screens’. These screens (also known as Mortensen screens) were first used by William Mortensen, an American art photographer who was known for his radical experimentation. In this process, a textured screen is overlaid on the printing paper while exposing the negative on it to take a print.

This results in a subtle visual texture on the paper because of the areas that remain unexposed to the light through the screen. This lends a very sketch-like quality to the photograph.Thus, it is another example that demonstrates how photographs from this studio lie in a dreamy, uncanny region between photography & painting.

In this process, a textured screen is overlaid on the printing paper while exposing the negative on it to take a print.

This lends a very sketch-like quality to the photograph.

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Dye-Transfer Process The dye-transfer process was a method of making colour photographic prints. It involved transferring dyes sequentially and with careful registration onto a sheet of gelatin-coated paper. This colour printing process was popular during the 60s as it gave rich colours and long lasting prints. Hamilton was one of the few Indian studios who had expertise in

this form of colour photography. The unique thing about the dye transfer technique was that it allowed positives to be created in daylight instead of the dark room. Acid dyes were used to colour the photographic prints. It was an extensive and complicated process that required tremendous effort.

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Restoration of Mutilated Photographs Along with photography, Hamilton studio also specialises in restoration of old, mutilated photos.

This is one of its lesser known and unique services. Ajita Madhavji recalls an incident:

He was extremely happy when we called him to inform the photo had been restored. Later, he found another old photo in his village. This time, it was “Once a gentleman who was a lawyer came his father’s photo. When we to us with an extremely old photo. He said it saw the condition it was in, we was his only childhood photo with his brother. clearly told him that since the Being extremely attached to the photo, he emulsion layer of the print had asked us if there was any way we could restore faded, there was little we could it. We asked him to leave it to us. The photo do. But it might be possible to was quite damaged but we managed to restore it. scan and produce a new print.

He said we could do whatever “He said we could do whatever was was needed to get a better needed to get a better photo. photo. And so we did.

And so we did.”

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Archiving Hamilton possesses a treasure trove of old negatives. They have been meticulously archiving negatives from every client right since the 1920s. Prachi, the intern currently working on archiving and restoration at Hamilton told me that there is most likely no other studio in India that has preserved any photographs or negatives from the past, let alone archive them. On the other hand, the people working at Hamilton must have realised the importance of documenting their work and thus you have an entire collection of documented negatives.

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Their collection now has over six hundred thousand negatives, stored and archived since the 1920s.

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Even though factors like weather have resulted in some wear and tear of the archives, the fact that they haven’t been thrown out or burnt is a huge achievement in itself. The studio is currently in the process of restoring these worn out negatives and digitising them to preserve them permanently.

The studio is currently in the process of restoring these worn out negatives and digitising them in order to preserve them permanently.

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CLIENTELE & CAMARADERIE Hamilton’s rapport With its clients.

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Establishing a rapport One of the reasons why Hamilton has managed to survive to this day is because of its effort in establishing a rapport with every client that they have. They make every client feel special and give them considerable time and attention. This permeates from their professional work culture.

Having generation after generation of families come back to them as loyal clients is perhaps something that only Hamilton can pride itself upon. The relationship that they develop with each of their clients is one of complete trust and confidence. Trust in Hamilton’s professionalism and their dedication to creating memories to the utmost satisfaction of their clients.

Having generation after generation of families come back to them as loyal clients is unique to Hamilton studios.

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Repertoire & Legacy The collection of photographs at Hamilton tells a larger story about the city of Bombay itself.

We see how the city has evolved and get a peek into the lives of the elite as we go from British aristocracy to Indian royalty to industrialists and so on. This peek into the socio-economic conditions of Bombay is a unique insight that the collection of Hamilton photos provides. We see how the city went from ruler to ruler and industrialist to industrialist.

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Since the studio has managed to flourish until now, it has grown beyond its purpose of a photography studio and has turned into an institution that is a museum of sorts.

A museum that has documented Bombay’s changing times and its elite. With initiatives such as digital archiving, restoration and public displays of the photographs, Hamilton seeks to carry on its legacy in earnest.

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Acknowledgements I would like to express my gratitude towards Ajita Madhavji and Prachi Gupta for taking out time and talking about the history, the methods and the legacy of Hamilton Studios.

This publication would not have seen the light of day had it not been for the information and the archival pictures they provided. I would also like to acknowledge Brown Paper Bag and Supari Studios for my secondary research as part of this publication project.

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