History of Indian Photography Tamilnadu (Phase 1 | August ‘09- January ,10)
Mani.y’arasan Rajendran
Guide: Dr.Deepak John Mathew
Dissertation Semester II
History of Indian Photography - Tamilnadu (Phase 1 | August ‘09- January ‘10)
P G Programme in Photography Design 2009
Mani.y’arasan Rajendran
Guide: Dr.Deepak John Mathew
I thank, Dr. Deepak John Mathew, our course coordinator, for believing in and seeing the ‘Vision’ of this research. Initiating this program was a monumental effort in itself and has helped each one of us in our own way. I am sure, that I’ll be as proud as everyone else; to be an active part of this genesis that is taking place in the department. This unfinished pursuit of mine has more to be done: imparting immortality to the values and history of Indian Photography is a journey that is seemingly never ending. This journey (Phase 1) that involved looking beyond the present, into a rich art and cultural knowledge base, had its fair share of struggles. But never the less, I was fortunately guided and helped by my fellow photographers’ fraternity of the yesteryear and they have made my search a tremendously enriching experience through their personal and professional expertise and know-how. Needless to say, I would like to express my gratitude to all the people who shared their valuable Work, Art and most importantly Time with me. I would also like to thank my Aunt, Uncle, Asaithambi, SakthiMurugan, Venkatesh, Venkat and all my other friends who helped me to their utmost capability. My family being Omni-present in all my endeavors, I’d be as always, indebted to them.
Acknowledgment
Substance
Acknowledgments Substance The Gist The State- Tamilnadu Districts Conclusion
Kumar Studios
I am deeply privileged to get the oppurtunity to know all these gentlemen, who devoted most of their days to photography, even though they do not complete the entire circle of the previous generation photographers. Having said that, I am very helpless and agonised by the fact that, most of the then celebrated people in their region, are working for a few pennies now, and remaining few had left it all toegther, or bequeathed it to their heirs. It is also not a great picture to see the surviving people and their studios, transforming into ‘uncomfortable’ and ‘commodified’ digital studios, out of pure peer pressure. The natural fact remains, they dont have enough channels or scope to retain their work. The climate of the region played its part as a spoilsport to the already disintegrating art and its techniques. The ever growing technology made this art seem, handicapped. The absence of the continuous action due to consumerism, went on to initiate the downfall of those studios and times. When you hold the prime position of the city, occupying a minimum 18 sq.ft., of space and left in darkness, one is pushed to behave human. The reasons are as simple as that. Mr.Balaji, Om Studios, Madurai quotes, “I couldn’t afford to let the space rot, with these films and materials, so I burnt them one day. At the same time, for the sake of my memory and my attachment, I had saved some 10 x 12 inch films, to show my children, that these existed”. We are trying to be an integral part in this salvage. As qualified students of Photography, the duty to look at the history and future of our fraternity, is upon us. Our efforts are directed towards retrieving the artisans and their art, to the most of our ability.
The Gist
Unsurprisingly, all these elderly and respectable gentlemen, for whom photography was more than a profession, were humble enough, highly level headed, too principled, in their work. They hardly moved away from the integrity and sincerity they had shown in their work, all throughout these years. What they used to produce as an artist’s creation of pictures has become a commodity today. Photography was first introduced to India in 1840, only a year after the announcements of the daguerreotype and calotype processes in France and England. The fragility of this early material, the uniqueness of the daguerreotype and the harshness of the Indian climate mean that photographs from this time are scarce, leaving us with a fragmented picture of the development of the medium. Mostly the photography in the early years of India was specially tied to the colonial regime. Photographers who went to India were mainly from the British government. Some photographed as amateurs, while others were actually employed to take photographs. The company actively encouraged the employees to photograph, and record archaeological sites. Sathya Studios, Tiruppuvanam
Inspite of the all above said complications, there still exists a huge amount of resources, of the yesteryears of Indian Photography material. Our major objective is to retrieve, to re-collect, to preserve, archive all those invaluable materials belonged to the previous generation. All of us from various backgrounds and qualifications, came together here for that one motive of learning the science of light “Photography�, have got a collective vision in terms of getting hold of all the lost and fragmented records. India was never too far into Photography, once it started across the West, during 1840s. We are not just into the cadre of collection of old archives, but to recover those lost photographers, and probably rescue this art medium. We are set out to do a more intrinsic approach, where we would be travelling in look out for all those photographers of yester years, from all parts of our country. Designed to finish in two years, we are set to pull all plugs to make this forefathers of Photography into a comprehensive document. The digital transition is nearing complete to push out all the older forms of existence. Before it could get washed off entirely, we are taking it up as our responsibility, as the pioneer students of photography design in India. It is vital to hold on to all possible references and documents, of our history. It is imminent for the film to stage a comeback as an art form, rather than the likes of digital commodity. There is still a lot of glimpse and hope to make the revival happen soon. While this happen, we are finding and identifying the gentlemen behind, and they truly need to be honoured. My work is just a dot in ocean, and I am looking at Tamilnadu’s Photographers. This part is a brief of 10-12 photographers belonging to the central part of Tamilnadu.
Sathya Studios, Tiruppuvanam
History of Indian Photography South Tamilnadu Districts [Phase 1] Madurai Sivaganga Trichirapalli [Trichy] Karaikudi Tanjore Virudhunagar Districts [Phase 2] {to be done further} Salem Coimbatore Nagercoil Karur Tirunelveli Karaikkal Sivakasi
Image Source : www.wikimapia.org
Madurai Region Madurai City • New Jupiter Studio 1950 • New Rathna Studio 1978 • Kumar Studios 1960 • Om Digital Studios 1977 * Sivaganga District • Sathya Digital Studio 1983 Virudhunagar District • Welcome Digital Studios 1947 * • Rathna Studios 1958 *
* No information available
Mr.Palaniappan, a photographer, started his career at 17, in 1965, under his guru, helping him in printing and processing. He started his own studio, “sathya studio” with his Yashica 12 then. Now he is left with that, along with a wooden bellow camera, and a defunct darkroom. He stopped all kinds of work in the studio, at 2002, when the darkroom also stopped working. His son eventually took over the studio, converted it into a digital studio. Unlike his father, he has passed Class 10. He had an informal training in Adobe photoshop 7, from his uncle for three months. Not so aware of all the older techniques, used by his father or has any interest in reviving it back. Ironically, he hasn’t used a film camera for a longtime.
Above: Mr.Palaniappan, alongwith his son, who takes care of his Studio, following his father’s footsteps. Opposite: Self-Portrait, Mr.Palaniappan.
Mr. Palaniappan Sathya Studios
Thiruppuvanam, Sivaganga District
Sathya Studios, Tiruppuvanam
Opp page: Mr. Palaniappan, standing tall with his hay day equipments, in front of the defunct darkroom.
It says, “Passport pictures in minutes. ‘Sathya Studio & Videos’ Thiruppuvanam”. The present state of the studio converted into a digital one, shifted from a prime location to a premise at the 1st floor, on top of the small commercial shops. The hoarding exemplifies the present need of the consumers, trying to seduce them with the luxury of digital equipments aiding both the photographer and the customer. Clearly, these present day photographers, from these rural areas, with a standard way of working, differ from each other, only in the basis of the fee they demand.
All these pictures are from Mr.Palaniappan’s left over collection of films, of various formats from 35mm, 120mm, 4x5. Predominantly an event photographer, he got some liberty while shooting the studio portrait shots. These pictures signify those days, the people, their styles, their dresses, the place they belong and of course the culture. Sathya Studios, Tiruppuvanam
Sathya Studios, Tiruppuvanam
Sathya Studios, Tiruppuvanam
Sathya Studios, Tiruppuvanam
For a person who came to his Uncle (Kumar Studios) at an age of 11, never got to learn anything with his family size increasing as ever. He took photography mainly as a source of income for his survival, in his long list family, where his education was never a priority. Doing this entirely by his experience he gained from his uncle, he is one of the very few (probably one of the two) who still has his b/w darkroom going on steadily (thanks to a British emporium, Madurai, which still provides him with the required raw materials). Working under his boss (who bought the studio from another photographer 20 years) he is more like a (working partner) worker under him, who is driving the business of photography. Needless to say all for his survival. But now he more established in the circles of the photography, and he is continuing with this for now. No one is left behind him and he proudly says he could afford his sons and daughters education and they don’t have to come into ‘Photography’.
Left: Self Portrait, Kumar Studios Facing Page: Dhanraj Kumar Studios, Madurai
Mr. Dhanraj Kumar Studios & Rathna Mahal Studio 1973 Netaji Road, Madurai
Kumar Studios, Madurai
Kumar Studios, Madurai
Kumar Studios, Madurai
Kumar Studios, Madurai
Kumar Studios, Madurai
Kumar Studios, Madurai
Above: The dark room which is still working on full steam. One of the very few, who offers commercial b/w developing and printing in Madurai. Above Left: K.Kamaraj, former Cheif Minister, Tamilnadu, with some of his party workers in Madurai.
Kumar Studios, Madurai
Above Left: The usual Passport photograph set. Above: M.G. Ramachandran, former Cheif Minister, Tamilnadu, delivering a speech, with Indira Gandhi, listening in the background. The intent to take pictures of Celebrities, (Politicans and Cine Actors in the case of Tamilnadu) was very clear of the then Photographers. The better and the more people in their studio walls, the bigger the chance of getting noticed as a famous studio in the locality.
Welcome Studios, Virudhunagar
One of my friend’s pictures, who was shot by this studio right from 1st class, TVS School Virudhunagar.
Mr. S.Karthikeyan
National Studio (National Digital Studio & Video) 1922 Tanjore
Mr.Jameel, photographer, started his career at 19, in 1957, at his father’s watch shop in a corner taking passport size pictures. Started his own studio, “Modern Photo Flash” at 1960s. He works with his own principles, which has made him the most reliable and the favoured photographer in Trichy. He has been shooting every single convocated batch for instituitions at Trichy for decades now. You can’t miss his picture “Modern Photo Flash”, present in every single house which has a graduate. The photographer who is unsure about the future of his profession, has archived every single picture taken by him.
Modern Photo Flash, Trichy
Mr. Jameel Modern Photo Flash 1960 Trichy
Modern Photo Flash, Trichy
Jameel, has his fixed appointments with his doctor every alternate day, seldom misses his appointment at his studio every single day. He is at his comfort when he is at his studio. He might get weakened day in and day out, but not his skills behind his magic box. He still goes on for shoots himself, and never sends his assistants, as his peers would do. His presence is specifically requested by his clients. One would find people thronging his studio even now, looking for their own photographs and negatives taken at this studio, decades before. One could also read the notice welcoming as you enter the studio “negative and soft copy rights reserved�. This only to mean that, he wants his prints assured in its quality and he doesn’t leave it for anyone else to do it. In his half century of studio experience, he had his bitter times, when he found his negatives being treated as mere raw material for a picture print. Quality is not something less than 100% for him. Neither for shooting, processing or printing, or rather even delivering on time.
Modern Photo Flash, Trichy
He strongly believes in his principles and work ethics, and makes sure his assistants also follow him. He is a strict task master extracting work from them, and make sure they are as loyal to quality as towards the clients. His name is an established brand name in the city of trichy for value for money photography services. He is a client’s man, and attends functions outside only for those who are very close and adamant about his presence. Once he did 10 weddings/events every month, now he does 10 per year. He has nothing to prove, he has nothing to bother about his survival and does his job without any pressure. He is very strong in ideals, he is a strong believer in God. His studio is filled with so many things, which suggests he is not a religion centric man, but a god centric person.
Opposite Page: Jameel, with all his workers, at 1970. Above: His darkroom Above Right: Jameel, with the then Chief minister of Tamilnadu, M.G.Ramachandran in the centre. Right: Negatives, Jameel, Trichy, 1982. It took two minutes for Mr.Jameel’s assitant to retreive from his studio archive. He used a simple process of giving continuous numbering! Modern Photo Flash, Trichy
With all the negatives of his customers, archived well enough, he can’t afford to disappoint them, with the excuse of lack of B/W developing and printing needs. He is very well working in the medium, catering to the needs of his customer. He is a familiar household name in the City of Trichy.
Modern Photo Flash, Trichy
The above picture had 30 seconds to be taken by him. Coming in the sequence from the previous two chief ministers (M.G.Ramachandran and K.Karunanidhi), Mr Jameel got this job also. Under the watchful eyes of the CM guards he got to see the police officers arranged themselves in less than 20 seconds, and he cllicked within the next 10.
Modern Photo Flash, Trichy
Modern Photo Flash, Trichy
Modern Photo Flash, Trichy
A rare picture of Thanthai Periyar, the founder of the Davidian Ideologue.
Above: Kalaignar K.Karunanidhi with his partymen. Below: Well known actor Sivaji Ganesan with the elephant he donated, at Soorakottai.
‘Arunachala Studio - Photo & Video’
Arunachalam was in his IInd Class when he found people, producing pictures out of a darkroom on his way to school. Naturally he got excited to see the pictures and joined Vasan Studios (Started in 1947) in 1955 as an assistant with the capacity of a ‘tea boy’, getting all the smaller needs. This part time job that started in his IInd Class, went on for 7 years, when he joined Mr.Appar, Photojournalist, The Hindu, in Madurai, in 1962. He went on to work with a couple of more people, before he started his own in 1973, at Karaikudi. He worked mainly for the newspapers, and acted as an outsourcing firm from his city. He used to shoot any assignments that come his way. He mentions, the most interesting work was the portraits taken for the Policemen. Like most of those days’ photographers, he also used to paint in the pictures, doing touchwork. Did a lot of colour wash works in his days. He had his own Yashica using 120mm films. With no other source of income, Photography was his only mode of survival, and he did that with great honour.
Mr. Arunachalam Arunachala Studio 1955 Karaikudi
From having a studio space in a main property area of the city, he now has his studio on rent. It is so ironic that, he has got his shelter in one of the Chettinadu mansion. He is still preferred over many other younger photographers. He carries his analog camera with colour rolls, along with his ‘digital’ camera Nikon D40. It is not a wonder that, he still isn’t comfortable using digital cameras. He majorly stopped working in B/W films from 2002-03. Nothing much to follow up in this field, he has sold all his films for money (to the people, who apparently extract silver from them, by using sulphides). The gentleman, unable to afford any assistants under him anymore. He is working all alone in his 60’s.
Courtesy: Thangavelu
Photogapher, Madurai
Photographer: unknown Courtesy: Sakthi
Murugan
Conservation Architect, Tanjore