A--+++)-++-+a In Memory of
Martine Franck (1938–2012) Photographer and Wife of Henri Cartier-Bresson
B--+++)-++-+b
Final mastering the lens_final_060912.indd 1
07/09/12 4:34 PM
Final mastering the lens_final_060912.indd 2
07/09/12 4:34 PM
MASTERING
THE LENS BEFORE AND AFTER CARTIER-BRESSON IN PONDICHERRY
Introductions by
H.E. Mr Franรงois Richier the French Ambassador to India
E. Alkazi Chairman, Alkazi Foundation for the Arts
Curated by
Rahaab Allana With text contributions by
Shilpi Goswami Deepak Bharathan Prof. Kittu Reddy and Jennifer Chowdhry
Mapin Publishing in association with The Alkazi Collection of Photography Supported by the Embassy of France, India, and Alliance Franรงaise de Delhi
Final mastering the lens_final_060912.indd 3
07/09/12 4:36 PM
First published in India in 2012 by Mapin Publishing Pvt. Ltd and The Alkazi Collection of Photography With the support of Institut Français en Inde/ French Embassy in India and Alliance Française de Delhi. Simultaneously published in the United States of America in 2012 by Grantha Corporation E: mapin@mapinpub.com and The Alkazi Collection of Photography United Kingdom: London • stephanie.roy@btinternet.com India: New Delhi • rahaab@acparchives.com
Distributed in North America by Antique Collectors’ Club T: 1 800 252 5231 • F: 413 529 0862 E: info@antiquecc.com www.antiquecollectorsclub.com Distributed in United Kingdom and Europe by Gazelle Book Services Ltd. T: 44 1524-68765 • F: 44 1524-63232 E: sales@gazellebooks.co.uk www.gazellebookservices.co.uk Distributed in Southeast Asia by Paragon Asia Co. Ltd T: 66 2877 7755 • F: 66 2468 9636 E: info@paragonasia.com Distributed in the rest of the world by Mapin Publishing Pvt. Ltd 706 Kaivanna, Panchvati, Ellisbridge, Ahmedabad 380006 INDIA T: 91 79 4022 8228 • F: 91 79 4022 8201 E: mapin@mapinpub.com • www.mapinpub.com Text and illustrations © The Alkazi Collection of Photography, except the following by permission of Henri Cartier-Bresson Foundation, Paris and Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Pondicherry: Photographs on pp. 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75 and 76.
Final mastering the lens_final_060912.indd 4
All rights reserved under international copyright conventions. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording or any other information storage and retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from the publisher. The moral rights of H.E. Mr François Richier, E. Alkazi, Rahaab Allana, Shilpi Goswami, Deepak Bharathan & Prof. Kittu Reddy to be identified as authors of this work are asserted.
ISBN: 978-81-89995-73-7 (Mapin) ISBN: 978-1-935677-28-4 (Grantha) LCCN: 2012947789 Editorial Support: Mallika Sarabhai and Neha Manke / Mapin Editorial Design: Jalp Lakhia /Mapin Design Studio Production: Gopal Limbad /Mapin Design Studio Processed by Reproscan, Mumbai Printed by Aegean Offset Printer, New Delhi This publication is produced in conjunction with the exhibition Mastering the Lens: Before and After Cartier-Bresson in Pondicherry curated and produced by Alkazi Foundation for the Arts, with support of Institut Français en Inde/French Embassy in India and Alliance Française de Delhi. Frontispiece: Unknown photographer, Untitled portrait, c. 1948–1975, Gelatin Silver Print, 366 x 290mm ACP: D2004.82.0045 Pages 3–4: Unknown photographer, Pondicherry from the Sea, c. 1890, Albumen Print, 211 x 277mm ACP: 94.111.0017
07/09/12 4:44 PM
6
RENEWING TIES Linking India and France through the Art of Photography H.E. Mr Franรงois Richier
7
THE ENDURING IMAGE E. Alkazi
9
SILENT AS AN APPARITION A Hidden Legacy of Photography Rahaab Allana
11
MASTERING THE LENS Before and After Cartier-Bresson in Pondicherry Shilpi Goswami and Deepak Bharathan
78
BRIEF NOTE ON SRI AUROBINDO ASHRAM AND PHOTOGRAPHY Prof. Kittu Reddy
80
BIOGRAPHY OF PHOTOGRAPHERS Compiled by Jennifer Chowdhry
Final mastering the lens_final_060912.indd 5
82
ABOUT THE HENRI CARTIER-BRESSON FOUNDATION
83
Select Bibliography
84
Acknowledgements
07/09/12 4:45 PM
RENEWING TIES Linking India and France through the Art of Photography H.E. Mr François Richier the French Ambassador to India
I
ndia and France have a shared history of mutual fascination and reciprocal influences through commercial and cultural exchanges dating back to the 17th century. It started with the first meeting
between French explorers and Indian maharajahs; and was to continue in the 20th century with the friendship forged between André Malraux, the French Minister of Culture, and Jawaharlal Nehru. The exchange of ideas is most evident in Pondicherry, where the first French merchants had set foot, producing a unique cultural melting pot, which includes original architecture, a deep-rooted attachment to French language and many other legacies within the framework of arts. More than any other place, Pondicherry has always been a gateway to new perspectives of self-development, artistic fulfilment and intellectual enrichment, particularly for French people who are attracted to Indian culture, philosophy and spirituality. An epitome of this tradition was the meeting of famous French photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson and one of India’s most important philosophers of the 20th century, Sri Aurobindo together with his companion, Mirra Alfassa—“the Mother”. Cartier-Bresson had just founded Magnum Photos agency, with other great French photographers such as Robert Capa and David Seymour, and soon achieved international recognition. In the aftermath of the World War II, he had become the leader of a photography movement that replaced the old tradition of over-sophisticated and over-posed images—by shooting vivid glimpses of real life, be they historical events or day-to-day occupations, transcending the bounderies between art and journalism. His quest for new challenges and self-improvement led him to India several times, where he even met Mahatma Gandhi in 1947. In 1950, thanks to the Mother’s intervention, he was able to visit Aurobindo Ashram, where he took some of the photographs presented in this publication, a few months before Sri Aurobindo’s death. For too long, these pictures had remained unheralded. But thanks to the work of the Alkazi Foundation, they are now available to an enlarging audience. Over the last 30 years, Mr E. Alkazi has privately gathered pictures from the 19th and 20th centuries, revealing lesser-known aspects of Indian socioeconomic, political or cultural history, not only to scholars but also, through various exhibitions to a larger public. France is honoured and pleased to have now brought to light, through Cartier-Bresson’s eye and earlier works from the archive, the ambivalent poetic spell of Pondicherry’s old times. At a time when the world is undergoing a major transformation, where globalisation through cultural exchanges is reaching an unprecedented level, these pictures of Cartier-Bresson are a beautiful meditation on what France and India, two different and ancient cultures, can learn from each other —primarily the universality of art and spirituality. That was certainly what Emperor Ashoka thought when he wrote, more than 2000 years ago: “I am proud of my humanity every time I appreciate poets and artists from other countries than mine”.
6
Final mastering the lens_final_060912.indd 6
07/09/12 4:38 PM
THE ENDURING IMAGE E. Alkazi Chairman, Alkazi Foundation for the Arts
T
he history of photography in India is fundamentally linked to the French invention of the medium in the 19th century, and the pioneering discovery of Sir Nicéphore Niépce (1765-1833) who simply produced a
‘view’ through his window in 1826 by use of a camera obscura. Less than two decades hence, the medium gradually establishes itself in India exposing the vast expanse of her territories and the diversity of its people as part of a continuing visual tradition. At an art historical level, the production of small format, easily portable photographs are also reminiscent of the Mughal miniature paintings that revealed the lyrical intensity of a patron’s enduring image on paper. Both occurrences, painting and then photography, though separated by the continuum of time, manner and perhaps intent, mark a cultural collision that has evolved into the present state of photography as a cultural tool and an incisive form of expression. Some of the early French photographers in India include Alex de la Grange (born 1825), and Oscar Malitte (18291905) who captured not only architectural splendours but the humanity that steered India from a colony to an independent nation. It is with homage to them and their contemporaries that an archive of images from the 19th century becomes part of our collective legacy and heritage. At a more conceptual level, photography developed two adjacent lives: the first as a testament to reality, and the other as an abiding practice of the arts. Both lives were equally viable and deeply in tune with the modern demands of photography: to challenge reality and to explore the abstractions of human imagination. Romanticism as an aesthetic position was introduced and then transgressed by some of the leading French photographers of their time: Henri le Sec and Jean Paul Gaude, the portraiture of Nadar and the urban modernism of Eugene Atget. This later evolves into the social documentary photograph, a leading practitioner of which is Henri Cartier Bresson (1908-2004). Though his time in India has been well documented, the events that transpired in Pondicherry, namely at the Sri Aurobindo Ashram in the 1950s remain an obscure part of photohistories. Reproduced in this catalogue for the first time the images here were collaborative, as Bresson envisioned them with the guidance of the Mother, and the consent of Sri Aurobindo himself. The 1960s mark the coming of age of modern photography in India with an unprecedented number of practitioners, often anonymous, who were near contemporaries of Bresson. Once again, the Aurobindo Ashram comes to the fore highlighting a forgotten period of experimentation and practice. Varied initiatives of photography begin to emerge, taking from pictorial traditions in fine art and re-examining them with the lens. The unique blend of French and Indian sensibilities allows for a more expanded understanding of the influence of photography at a practical and discursive level. The world of photography thus enters an enlarged arena of artistic influences, forged as part of its global initiative: its ability, today, to draw in people and spaces from different cultures into a common purview and engender a creative response. This exhibition is then an exploration of lesser-known, but extremely illuminating works from the visual archives of the Alkazi Collection, with which we envisage new frontiers of research, and renewed ways of linking photographers and artists to their times, as well as to the present. We are therefore grateful to the Embassy of France, India, as well as the Alliance Française de Delhi for collaborating with us at an institutional level and consolidating alliances for the future of our two nations.
7
Final mastering the lens_final_060912.indd 7
07/09/12 4:41 PM
Venkatesh Shirodkar Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Pondicherry, c. 1948–1975, Illusion, Gelatin Silver Print, 245 x 291 mm, Rolleiflex Automat—Tessar F.3,5;1/2 Sec. at F.8. Dev. in D.K. 20; Enlarged on Bromesko ACP: D2004.82.0008
I really believe there are things nobody would see if I didn’t photograph them.
Diane Arbus
B--+)--+b
Final mastering the lens_final_060912.indd 8
07/09/12 5:12 PM
SILENT AS AN APPARITION A Hidden Legacy of Photography Rahaab Allana resson may have uttered the same
B
artistic intent and reception, with evidence
narratives were encouraged as part of project-
words with reference to his rare, self-
of a continuing aesthetic of ‘pictorial’
based shoots. However the presentation of
commissioned album featuring 119 images
photography—a predominant form tied to
an album by Bresson in conjunction with
emerging from Aurobindo Ashram in Pondi-
the formal aspects of fine art.
this work can be considered a notional
cherry. Instead, his careful observations
extension, showcasing his more ‘amateur’
about the Ashram as well as the city,
This was a curatorial route into the past,
experiments at a time when photographers
generously provided by the Henri Cartier-
through ‘media’ and the conceptual linking
were playfully tempering light and contrast;
Bresson Foundation in Paris brings forth a
of mannerisms and tropes. The geographical
a form of ‘artistic darkness’ for instance
hidden reserve of photo-history, untouched
region itself had been visited by visual artists
that Bresson was asked to consider upon
by the scholarly world or viewed by
from the 17th century, who documented
instruction from the Mother while
practitioners. Bresson meticulously pens
it’s serene vistas—brought to life as an
shooting Sri Aurobindo during darshan.
his thoughts, occasionally jotting down
amalgamation of Christian and local elements
segments of his conversations with the
in architecture and urban sprawl. The use
This exhibition addresses how photo-
French-born leader of Auroville, commonly
of antiquarian maps from the 18th and 19th
graphers changed the course of photography
known as ‘The Mother’, who meanders in
century reveals an intricately Europeanised
with stylistic 'departures' during the 1950s
and out of his frames, ‘silent as an apparition’.
town, though structurally segregated,
and 60s, whilst using images from the 19th
Her ‘strong, kind and fascinating eyes’
featuring a shared use of motifs and style.
century to examine a sense of lineage. The
prompt a personal, if not biographical,
The arrival of commercial photographers
archive is positioned to support the coming
perspective on photography history.
Bourne and Shepherd, or indeed mysterious
of modernity, by way of an iconographic
French photographer, Charles Moyne uncovers
association. The forces at play at a compo-
an expansive city of citadels and churches.
sitional level as well as those of patronage
were traveling with (the late) Sunil Janah,
The unearthing of archival material is
made on photography by amateur photo-
while others like Shambu Saha were
balanced by a few surviving photographers
graphers trying relentlessly to infuse a
developing a form of Industrial photo-
from the 1960s, some of whom have been
subjective manner in their practices. Though
graphy. However, upon further investigation,
recently interviewed. As with vintage photo-
such ventures stand in contrast to more
we have discovered that Pondicherry too
graphs, modern landscape photographers
mainstream journalistic forays, which
underwent a visual ‘worlding’ that marks a
in the Aurobindo Ashram carry on the legacy
Bresson is acclaimed for, we witness an
crucial moment in the development of
of image-making into the 20th century. The
intended ‘shift’ in temperament and focus
photography here. The Ashram harboured
temporal jump from the 19th to the 20th
from the 19th century: an abounding personal
young talent by providing state of the art
century is exemplified through extraordinary
commentary, largely devoid of commercial
equipment, and in the form of an annual
images of Indian practitioners such as Tara
intent—which inadvertently influences the
Salon Festival for almost 25 years (c.1955-80).
Jauhar and Sri Venkatesh at Aurobindo
known legacies of photography in India.
The kinds of photos that were submitted
Ashram. The photographers though distinct
and selected explored a dialogue on
in their technique, express how personal
At approximately the same time in India, photographers like Margaret Bourke White
and practice manage to fulfill the claims
9
Final mastering the lens_final_060912.indd 9
07/09/12 4:42 PM
Bourne & Shepherd 11, Esplanade Road, Bombay, c. 1880–1890 Verso of Cabinet Card, 165 x 110 mm, ACP: 94.75.0004
Final mastering the lens_final_060912.indd 10
07/09/12 5:14 PM
MASTERING THE LENS Before and After Cartier-Bresson in Pondicherry Shilpi Goswami and Deepak Bharathan
“The power—and authority—of the visual in modern Indian public sphere emerges from the fact that it inhabits such an ‘interocular’ or ‘intervisual’ field, overlapping, intersecting, and interlocking with other images and in conjuncture with different media, triggering associations, catalyzing memories, rendering the unfamiliar recognizable, and frequently reconfiguring the recognizable, so that, as earlier images…. [they] are forever waiting to erupt in the present as they continually migrate, moving in and out of new times and changing political contexts.”
Sumathi Ramaswamy1
B--++)-+-+b
T
he intellectual charge of the statement
photography’s nascent use: a form of
and establishing long-standing firms during
above lies in its recognition of the
reportage, documentation and inventory
this time, and soon Bombay (Mumbai),
complexities involved in the development
keeping. The story of early photography in
Calcutta (Kolkata) and Madras (Chennai)
of media strategies, especially at a nascent
India is hence deeply aligned to the influence
developed their own unique photographic
stage of intercultural relations occurring
of European culture eastwards, primarily
societies. However, the lineage provided
in the colonial period. Photography as a
as a technology that was introduced in
by the medium does not only present
form of reportage, as well as individual
Calcutta, one of the principal states of the
evidence of mainstream studios in larger
2
perception undergoes a ‘worlding’ in India,
British Presidency, as early as 1840. The rise
metropolitan cities, but also of vernacular
based on its progressions, influences and
of photography in India, practiced both
traditions and experiments that help to
manifestations across all spheres of socio-
inside and outside the studio, offers not only
deconstruct its effect on the subcontinent
political activity.
a fascinating social history of its patronage,
as a whole. A reference to ateliers of artists,
usage and circulation, but also its transition
who later interacted with photography in
Photography emerged in India shortly after
to an art form and practice, underscoring
Rajasthan, substantiates this notion,
the public announcement of the Calotype
the need for a deeper investigation of the
elucidated in another publication on Painted
in London and Daguerreotype’s invention
challenges it faced and developments it
Photographs5 from the Alkazi Collection.
in 1839 in Paris. From 1840 onwards, the
wrought on visual culture, then as well
governments of imperial nations realised
as now.3
The function of a popular or emancipated
its potential for recording the antiquities
tradition in India therefore arises out of
of the ‘Orient’. Other European photographers
Photography was taken up with alacrity by
the conversation between tradition and
in India at the time such as Samuel Bourne
amateurs, aspirant professionals, commercial
modernity, the past and the continuing
(1834–1912) or the French aristocrat-
practitioners as well as by the apparatus of
present. Hence the notion of a 'cannon' in
photographer Baron Alexis Aimé de La
the colonial state.4 The 1860s witnessed
photography history here is fraught with
Grange (1825–1917) captured the essence of
many pioneers arriving in the subcontinent
ambivalences, bearing in mind the growing
11
Final mastering the lens_final_060912.indd 11
07/09/12 4:42 PM
exposure of new (often private) archives or
attempt to unearth the ‘lesser-known’ visual
Surprisingly, we found that the Sri Aurobindo
indeed the juxtaposition of visual archives
history of the city, deeply inspired by the
Ashram also supported photography in the
with oral or textual works. It is also important
coming of the French. The use of archival
1950s and 60s, and some of the practitioners
then to reconsider the terms ‘popular’,
material such as vintage maps provide a
are still living. Consequently, if the 1950s
‘traditional’ and ‘mainstream’ as personal
holistic view of the city and the early rise
are seen as a point of refraction in the
albums of photography also highlight the
of the French influence here, followed by
development of photography in India, the
tastes and aesthetic predications of a
references to the 19th century images that
archive of images presented here will
visualise vast landscapes through aerial
enliven Sumathi Ramaswamy's assertion
and linear images of the city. However, at the
about how cultural histories and art practices
The following article hence volunteers thus-
crux of the article, beyond the domains of the
inevitably collide in order to redraft the past.
far unpublished material, for the most part,
‘vintage’ archive, lies a modern history of the
in this case from Pondicherry, housed in The
medium seen through the compelling images
Alkazi Collection of Photography. It is an
of Cartier-Bresson in the Sri Aurobindo Ashram.
generation or indeed, an era.
6
THE FRENCH IN PONDICHERRY
P
ondicherry, a port city on the Coromandel 7
Coast has been home to the various
granted to them. The weavers sector of
existing limits of the town and most of the
Pondicherry quickly developed into one of
private houses were built on their old sites.
cultures and communities, drawn to it as a
the picturesque locations within the town,
However there were many significant
trading zone. The Portuguese were some of
with craftsmen working under a broad stretch
changes in the layout and structure that
the first foreign settlers here, who arrived
of trees planted meaningfully along the
can be seen in vintage photographs from
in 1521 to trade in cotton textiles. Like any
avenues.8 According to S.J. Stephen, professor
the region. The town was divided into two
other commercial centre, there gradually
of maritime history and an author, the Dutch
parts by a canal, which separated the
developed a unique infrastructure, seen in
plan of 1694 shows that ‘many streets of the
European quarter from the Indian residents
the architecture and customs. The Dutch,
weavers, washers, painters, silver-smiths,
who had devised their own manner of
the Danes and the French followed suit in
coppersmiths, carpenters, hookers,
living12 [Fig.3 & 4]. The Indian quarter was
the 17th century transforming the city into
trumpeters, shepherds, oil mongers, rope
characterized by a Tamil style of architecture
a unique blend of European and local
makers and barbers came into existence in
with thalvaram (street verandah with a
cultural norms. The maps and photographs
the inner structure of the town. The grid was
platform and lean-to-roof over wooden
identified in this section therefore help to
so designed as to keep each section of the
posts) and a thinnai (semi-public verandah
piece together the urban spread of the city
inhabitants in their separate places’9 [Fig. 2].
space with masonry benches for visitors).13
In 1761, Pondicherry fell to the British who
The French town on the other hand was
The French were primarily drawn to Pondi-
completely destroyed the city and its many
characterized by a European classical style
cherry for the manufacture of fine cloth, as
architectural works including Dupleix’s10
comparable with Parisian villas, high
both cotton and indigo grew abundantly in
Government House. The Anglo-French
compound walls, elaborate gates, garden
the countryside. A weaver’s village existed
conflicts continued till 1816 when Pondi-
as a whole [Fig.1].
north of White Town in the late 1690s. Francois
11
courts, arched patios, colonnaded galleries,
cherry was finally ceded to the French.
voluminous rooms, high arched openings,
weavers and painters to the city in 1674 and
Following its destruction by the English,
roofs, developed along the coastline around
they built 40 houses on a plot of land
Pondicherry was reconstructed within the
the Government Square. Stately buildings
Martin, who founded Pondicherry, invited
and wooden balconies with flat terraced
12
Final mastering the lens_final_060912.indd 12
07/09/12 4:47 PM
Fig. 1 A Map of the Coast of Malabar, Madura and Cormendel, c. 1700, Ink on Paper, 316 x 399 mm ACP: 2012.01.M1
13
Final mastering the lens_final_060912.indd 13
07/09/12 4:47 PM
Fig. 2 Nicolas De Fer Plan de Pondichery a la cĂ´te de Coromandel OccupĂŠ par la Compagnie Royale de Indes Orientales (Map of Pondicherry on the Coromandel Coast occupied by the Royal East India Company), 1705 Ink on Paper, 239 x 353 mm ACP: 2012.01.M2
14
Final mastering the lens_final_060912.indd 14
07/09/12 4:48 PM
Fig. 3 Unknown Photographer Principal Street, Karical (currently Karaikal), c. 1860 Albumen Print, Photographer’s Ref. 8, 193 x 243 mm ACP: 97.16.0079(0003) Karaikal is a small coastal enclave within the Union Territory, about 130 km south of the city. It was formerly part of French India.
Fig. 4 Unknown Photographer Areuncoupom Bridge-Pondichery (Ariyankuppam Bridge), c. 1880 Albumen Print, 141 x 218 mm ACP: 97.48.0001(0049)
15
Final mastering the lens_final_060912.indd 15
07/09/12 4:48 PM
such as the Customs House, Tribunal Court
boulevards and canals, and on its four
was installed on the seashore and a pier
and other impressive structures surrounded
sides were new government buildings - the
was built between 1835 and 1866 [Fig. 9].
14
the Square itself. The Government House
Governor’s Palace and the Administrative
The statue of Dupleix was installed in 1870
[Fig. 5] was reconstructed, designed by
office on the north, warehouses on the
[Fig. 10] and a railway line was laid from
Monsieur Dumont in the Tuscan-Doric style
south, and military barracks on the east
Pondicherry to Villupuram in 1879.18
with Rococo style interiors.15 Bourçet, the
and west. The streets were all straight,
engineer responsible for the reconstruction,
stretching from east to west and from
Though the early development of photo-
designed the house in a much less grand
north to south cutting each other at right
graphy in the region is unclear, some
17
angles. The entire town was hence laid
surviving images cited in the text provide a
out in planned grids. Buildings like Hôtel
sense of the agendas and intentionality at
du Gouvernement, the Palais de Justice,
work for the travelling photographer. For
In the centre of the European quarter
Messageries Maritimes were built in 1862
instance, Bourne and Shepherd19, a photo-
was the parade ground of the old citadel
[Fig. 7], and the Aayi Mandapam was
graphic firm started by partners Samuel
[Fig. 6]. It was planted with trees, with
constructed in 1863 [Fig. 8]. A lighthouse
Bourne and Charles Shepherd “in search of
scale, transforming the Baroque-Classism 16
into a neo-Classicism style.
16
Final mastering the lens_final_060912.indd 16
07/09/12 4:49 PM
Facing page Fig. 5 Unknown Photographer Government House Pondichery, c. 1880, Albumen Print, 150 x 217 mm ACP: 97.48.0001(0041) The Governor’s House, located in the Government Square, was originally designed by Dumont, a French engineer, and was the residence of the French Governor Joseph-François Dupleix (1697-1763). Following the capture of Pondicherry by the British in 1761, the Governor’s House was reconstructed on a more modest scale by Bouçet, another French engineer. At present, it is the residence of the Indian Lieutenant Governor, and is called “Raj Nivas”.
Above Fig. 6 Unknown Photographer Pondicherry: Living Quarters of the Textile Firm “Savanah,” c. 1870 Albumen Print, 164 x 219 mm ACP: 96.20.0154 Below Fig. 7 Unknown Photographer Messageries Maritimes (Post Office)Pondichery, c. 1880 Albumen Print, 158 x 220 mm ACP: 97.48.0001(0042) The Messageries Maritimes was founded in 1851. Initially known as Messageries Nationales, then Messageries Impériales, it became Compagnie des Messageries Maritimes in 1871. The company was responsible for transporting passengers and goods between France and its colonies, as well as mail and messages.
17
Final mastering the lens_final_060912.indd 17
07/09/12 4:49 PM
Fig. 8 C. (possibly Charles) Moyne Fontaine de Pondichery (Fountain of Pondicherry famously known as, Aayi Mandapam), c. 1860, Albumen Print, 184 x 218 mm ACP: 97.52.0001(0027) The Government Square Fountain, also known as the 'Aayi Mandapam', stands within the Government Park. Built in Greco-Roman style, it housed a drinking water fountain. Envisaged by an engineer named Spinasse in 1820, the building got sanctioned by Governor Verninac and was finally completed in 1863 by another engineer, Lamairesse. Water was supplied to the town through a canal from a tank. However, according to a local legend this monument is named after a lady courtesan named Aayi. A king passing the residence of Aayi, mistook her home for a holy shrine. The king’s misjudgment touched Aayi, who decided to replace her home with a reservoir. Affected by her gesture, NapolÊon allegedly decided to erect a monument as a tribute to Aayi.
Fig. 9 C. (possibly Charles) Moyne Port de Pondichery (Pondicherry, Gingee Fort Pillars and Light House), c. 1860, Albumen Print, 166 x 230 mm ACP: 97.52.0001(0030) The exquisitely carved monolithic pillars were brought to Pondicherry from the nearby Gingee Fort, after its capture in 1751. The pier was destroyed by a cyclone in 1952. Remnants of the two Decauville railway lines leading to the Republic Square can be noticed on the left and right of the pier.
18
Final mastering the lens_final_060912.indd 18
07/09/12 4:50 PM
the picturesque”,20 produced a pageant of
and sell images of Pondicherry in the mid-
Fig. 10
dramatic landscapes, noble monuments and
1860s [Fig 11 & 12].
Unknown Photographer Light House Pondichery in Public Gardens, c. 1880,
romantic ruins,21 capturing the colonial
Albumen Print, 161 x 225 mm
harbour town. The success of Bourne and
Aesthetically, the commanding style of that
Shepherd at the time was not only a product
period was in the format of landscape
of their technical skill and commercial
photography or in this case, cityscapes, a
acumen but also their ability to present a
dominant academic genre that gradually
Saint-Simon's tenure. Standing 29 meters high, it cost
vision of India that coincided with, and
developed in 19th century Europe. Technically
about 10,000 Francs. When in operation, its light
reinforced, colonial notions of the ‘exotic’
speaking, a lateral rectangular frame would
East.22 With its agencies in Bombay, Calcutta
be typically composed with a width greater
Some changes were incorporated in the building:
and Simla as well as outlets in London and
than the height, compositionally following
a round base was built encircling the older square
Paris (which included running a mail order
the ‘golden rule’ of one-third/two-third
system), this studio found ways to publicise
horizontal proportions. The landscape
ACP: 97.48.0001(0047) The foundation stone of the lighthouse was laid in 1835 by Louis Guerre (project engineer) during Governor
could allegedly be seen from a distance of 15 miles.
base; the first floor was added in the early 20th century; electric lights were added in 1913 and 1931, respectively.
19
Final mastering the lens_final_060912.indd 19
07/09/12 4:50 PM
Facing page Fig. 11
Fig. 12
Bourne & Shepherd
Bourne & Shepherd
Pondicherry from the Sea, c. 1890,
Railka: Pondicherry. Pondicherry, the 'push-push',
Albumen Print, Photographer’s Ref. 2804,
a street conveyance, c. 1890,
183 x 290 mm
Albumen Print, Photographer’s Ref. 2808,
ACP: 95.0015(0001)
161 x 211 mm
A view of the “South Beach” in Pondicherry showing
ACP: 94.111.0019
chelingues. The chelingues were sewed boats that
This vehicle, also known as “La Pondichérienne”
could resist the waves of the Coromandel. Without
was the typical Pondicherian rickshaw. It was a
a natural harbour and until the construction of
four-wheeled covered cart pulled by two men and
the pier, these boats were the only means to carry
steered by the passengers. This mode of transport
goods and people from the ships to the shore.
was possibly confined to this French colony.
20
Final mastering the lens_final_060912.indd 20
07/09/12 4:51 PM
21
Final mastering the lens_final_060912.indd 21
07/09/12 4:51 PM
22
Final mastering the lens_final_060912.indd 22
07/09/12 4:52 PM
Fig. 13 C. (possibly Charles) Moyne General [Panoramic] View of Pondicherry, c. 1860 Albumen Print, 188 x 456 mm ACP: 97.52.0001(0028 & 0029)
23
Final mastering the lens_final_060912.indd 23
07/09/12 4:53 PM
then appeared as an antidote for the visual
Such architectural images abound in the
and social consequences of industrialisation,
archive of 19th century photographs in
offering a therapeutic view of the city, as
India which also include the work of other
a pastoral sensibility emerging out of
photo-graphers in the South Indian region
commerce and industry.
23
such as Nicholas and Company, Alexander Greenlaw and Linnaeus Tripe , based out of
Another photographer (allegedly French),
Madras; or travelling photographers such
working in South India in the 1860s was
as A.T.W. Penn who captured the famine
C. (possibly Charles) Moyne. Applying the
affected people of Madras. The Madras
tenet of architectural photography—the use
School of Arts was established in 1850 by
of controlled perspective, with an emphasis
Dr. Alexander Hunter who introduced
on vertical lines that are non-converging
photography for students with Lineaus Tripe
(parallel), he actively photographed the
(who eventually became famous for his views
landscapes and monuments of Pondicherry
of Burma) providing tuitions.25 The aim of
in this period.24 Unlike a studio photographer
such an exercise was to train a group of
who could control the demeanour of the
individuals who could be incorporated in
subject, an architectural photographer
the government’s surveying and docu-
was technically constrained, challenged
mentary activities. Photography’s qualities
not only by natural elements, but also by
as an instructive pastime, combining
having to develop his negatives on the
potential for artistic expression with the
spot, often using combustible chemicals
practical merits of information gathering,
such as potassium iodide and silver
were often discussed in these societies.
nitrate. The photographs present vistas
Official encouragement of, and tuition in,
with an all-encapsulating sense of the city
photography from the mid-1850s resulted
seen from a vantage point [Fig 13 & 14].
in impressive work produced by officers who had taken up photography as a hobby or profession.
Fig. 14 C. (possibly Charles) Moyne c. 1860, Albumen Print, 162 x 216 mm ACP: 2008.01.0046 48. Pagode de Vilnour, Cour Interieure, Etang Sacre. Environs de Pondichery. (Pagoda Vilnour, Inner Court, Sacred Tank, Around Pondicherry-Gokilambal Thirukameshwar Temple, Sacred Tank.) The Sri Gokilambal Thirukameshwar Temple is located 10 km away from Pondicherry, in Villianur. The temple dates back to the Chola period (12th century) and is dedicated to Shiva.
24
Final mastering the lens_final_060912.indd 24
07/09/12 4:53 PM
Final mastering the lens_final_060912.indd 25
07/09/12 5:14 PM
An accomplished artist, she studied at Ecole
HISTORICISING THE ALBUM Sri Aurobindo And His Ashram
Des Beaux Arts (Paris) and excelled as a pianist and writer. Interested in occultism,
Looking at albums redoubles the storytelling impulse that photographs naturally trigger.
she visited Tlemcen (Algeria) in 1905 and 1906
Verna Posever Curtis26
to study with the adept spiritualist Max Theon and his wife. Her primary interest, however,
B--++)-+-+b
was in the spiritual development of humanity.
F
rom their earliest days, albums have
conduct. In 1910, he withdrew from politics
In Paris, she founded a group of spiritual
been made for preserving impressions
and retired to Pondicherry in order to devote
seekers and gave talks to various groups,
and recreating memories. The photographic
himself entirely to his inner spiritual life and
before arriving in India in 1914, when she
album presents a unique, and multi-faceted
work. During his 40 years in Pondicherry, he
visited Pondicherry to meet Sri Aurobindo.
sub-genre within the history of photography,
evolved a new method of spiritual practice,
After a stay of 11 months she was obliged to
which began in the mid 19th century and
which he called the Integral Yoga. Eventually,
return to France due to the outbreak of the
flourished with the technical expansion of
in 1926, with the help of his spiritual
World War l. A year later she went to Japan
photography during the 20th century. The
collaborator, the Mother, he founded the
for a period of four years. Finally, in April
commercial production of albums—paper,
28
29
Sri Aurobindo Ashram.
1920, the Mother rejoined Sri Aurobindo in Pondicherry. When Sri Aurobindo Ashram
binding, and covers—were representations of the compiler's aesthetic sensibility.27
The Mother, Sri Aurobindo Ghosh’s divine
was formed in November 1926, Sri Aurobindo
The Sri Aurobindo And His Ashram album in
companion, a French Jewess by birth, was
entrusted its full material and spiritual
The Alkazi Collection of Photography is a
born as Mirra Alfassa (1878–1973) in Paris.
charge to the Mother. Under her guidance,
collection of 119 black and white photographs
which continued for nearly 50 years, the
in 48 folios bound in original brocade cloth
Ashram grew into a large artists’ complex.
without tilting. Interestingly, the cover folio
In 1952 she established Sri Aurobindo Inter-
has a cloth-embroidered image of Srinathji,
national Centre of Education, and in 1968
that form of Krishna when he lifted the
an international township, Auroville.30
Govardhan Parvat (hill) on his little finger, Four times a year, Sri Aurobindo appeared
from Nathdwara in Rajasthan [Fig 15].
before his devotees from all parts of Bengal, The images in the album comprise those of
Gujarat and elsewhere, seen in some of the
Sri Aurobindo as well as the Mother. Sri
photographs featured in the album. The
Aurobindo Ghosh's (1872–1950) ‘image’ and
disciples of the Ashram paraded in formation
teachings in India were popularised in Europe,
(the colour of their shorts indicate the
leading to his nomination for the Nobel Prize
degree of physical training completed)
in 1950. This event stirred an interest in his
winding up in the room where Aurobindo
intellectual persona internationally. Brought
and the Mother sat side by side, at darshan,31
up and educated in Cambridge (England)
a period during which the disciples came
Sri Aurobindo joined the fight for India’s
Fig. 15
to commune with the holy spirit embodied
independence when he came back to India.
Srinathji–Frontend paper from the album
in Aurobindo and the Mother. For hours
His activities greatly influenced the outward
‘Sri Aurobindo and His Ashram’, c. 1950 Sequins and Zari on Indigo dyed Cotton Cloth
the faithful would pass in front of them—
predilections of Gandhi and Nehru’s non-
pasted on paper, 403 x 315 mm
the Mother dressed in long veils of gold
violent, peaceful measures of political
ACP: D2005.06.0001
covering her forehead down to the eyebrows
26
Final mastering the lens_final_060912.indd 26
07/09/12 4:54 PM
and Aurobindo like an old seer, ornamented
CARTIER-BRESSON’S PHOTOGRAPHIC INTERVENTION
with silk; their feet rested on a tiger skin,
S
Tiruvannamalai to see and photograph
Aurobindo Ghosh was rarely photographed.
David Seymour, Ernst Haas and George
at 8.47 pm in the evening, Sri Ramana attained
The Ashram currently has about10 portraits
Rodger, Henri Cartier-Bresson came to the
Mahasamadhi. Cartier-Bresson was on hand
shot between 1910-26.33 Several of them
East. His photographs of Gandhi’s funeral
to photograph his funeral. Returning to
where the disciples placed their flowers.32 Ever since he withdrew to Pondicherry,
ome months after founding Magnum Photos with Robert Capa, Werner Biscoe,
Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi. That very day
show him posing in front of artificial back-
in January 1948 won him an Overseas Press
Madras he found a reply to his letter to the
drops. The last of these pictures seem to
Club Award. On 13 April 1950, while he was
Ashram granting him permission to attend
have been taken during the early or middle
in India, he wrote to the Sri Aurobindo
the darshan of the 24th and approving his
1920s by an anonymous photographer. In
Ashram from Madras.35 His letter was
request to make a photographic reportage on
1926 Sri Aurobindo retired and no photographs
addressed to the Ashram’s Secretary General,
the Ashram’s life. Cartier-Bresson arrived in
of him were taken for a quarter of a century.
Philippe Barbier Saint-Hilaire, known as
Pondicherry on 23 April. According to his
Copies of the earlier photographs were given
Pavitra. Bresson was already known as one
own account he was introduced to the
to devotees, some of whom commented
of the world’s leading photographers in the
Mother by Francois Baron, the Commissarie
that the Sri Aurobindo they saw at darshan
Sri Aurobindo Ashram.36
(formerly Governor) of Pondicherry, which
34
looked “quite different” from his pictures.
was still a French possession.37 Introducing himself as a professional
Below
photographer associated with Magnum
After a great deal of persuasion by the
Fig. 16
Photos, Cartier-Bresson asked for
Mother, Sri Aurobindo agreed to be photo-
Henri Cartier-Bresson
permission to attend the darshan of
graphed by Bresson [Figs 16, 17]. One
24 April 1950 and to make a photographic
condition, however, was set down by the
Gelatin Silver Prints, 315 x 403 mm (each)
reportage on the Ashram’s life. The next
Mother, that they be surrounded by an
ACP: D2005.06.0001(0006-7)
day, 14 April, Cartier-Bresson was in
“Artistic Shadow”, to reflect the atmosphere
Sri Aurobindo Ghosh from the album ‘Sri Aurobindo and His Ashram,’ April 1950,
27
Final mastering the lens_final_060912.indd 27
07/09/12 4:54 PM
Fig. 17
Note 760-6 from Bresson’s personal diary
Henri Cartier-Bresson
‘Four times a year Sri Aurobindo puts in an appearance
Sri Aurobindo Ghosh and The Mother at Darshan
before his disciples. They are allowed to file past him,
from the album ‘Sri Aurobindo and His Ashram,’
one by one, and many deposit flowers in a hold at
April 1950, Gelatin Silver Print, 403 x 315 mm
his feet. He sits immovable for hours, in a sort of
ACP: D2005.06.0001(0018)
tabernacle with silk ornament. Next to him is the Mother, his counterpart in divinity, in long gold veils covering her forehead down to the eyebrows and looking like a Byzantine Empress.’
28
Final mastering the lens_final_060912.indd 28
07/09/12 4:54 PM
PHOTOGRAPHY
Mastering the Lens
Before and After Cartier-Bresson in Pondicherry Rahaab Allana, Shilpi Goswami, Deepak Bharathan, Prof. Kittu Reddy and Jennifer Chowdhry 84 pages, 77 colour photographs 2 map 9 x 9.5” (241 x 229 mm), pb ISBN: 978-81-89995-73-7 (Mapin) ISBN: 978-1-935677-28-4 (Grantha) ₹1200 | $35 | £25 2012 • World rights