Photo 355/9(14)

Genre: Ethnographical Photography

Group portrait of three seated Maratha men, photographed at Indore. Similar to plate 371, vol VII of J. Forbes Watson, 'The People of India' (8 vols, London, 1868-75), which is a portrait of two of the men seen here.

For notes on the dress and physical characteristics of the sitters, see the table in Government of India Foreign Consultations (General), July 1863 (IOR P/205/14), p. 40. The figures are identified as: Gunput Rao, Kassy Rao and Bapoo Sahib. Waterhouse there notes: 'These photographs were taken in Holkar's Palace at Indore, October 20th 1862. I had been taking the chief men at Holkar's Court all the morning, and had been promised that some Mahrattas and agricultural tribes should attend: with the usual Native unpunctuality, I was kept waiting till nearly 3 p.m., and had packed up all my chemicals, ready to return to Cantonments, when I was told that they had arrived. I unpacked my chemicals, &c., but by the time I was ready, there was only one corner suitable for taking pictures, and that did not admit of my putting up my usual background and screen, so I had to take them as well as I could in the rapidly-failing afternoon light: such as they are I send them. The agricultural tribes did not appear at all, and two days afterwards I left Indore.'

[Albumen print, 166x129mm].

Subjects = Dunlop Smith Collection; ethnic groups; Marathas