FRITH'S SERIES, JOHNSON & HENDERSON

细节

FRITH'S SERIES, JOHNSON & HENDERSON
Portrait studies of native Indian types, circa 1857-1860s

Fifteen albumen prints and one gelatin silver copy print, the latter printed later, each approx. 10 x 8 in. or the reverse,two with photographers' blindstamp Frith's Series on recto and five numbered in the negatives, the majority titled, numbered, a few inscribed Frith and one inscribed Photo by Frith & Co. Reigate in pencil on verso, four matted. (16)

出版

Pal and Dehejia, From Merchants to Emperors, pl. 209; Worswick & Embree, The Last Empire, pp. 108, 109 (illus.)

展览

New York, The Morgan Library and Los Angeles, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, From Merchants to Emperors, British Artists and India, 1757-1930, 1986-87; New York, The Asia House Gallery, The Last Empire, Photography in British India, 1855-1911, 1976.

拍品专文

Portraits of 'Chambhars', 'Mangs', 'Bhats', 'Parsees', 'Barahs or Bohoras', 'Cingalese', snake charmers, 'Nautch girls & Musicians', Indian guards and a group portrait of shoe-makers.

Johnson and Henderson were both professional photographers based in Bombay in the 1850s and 60s. They collaborated on a series of ethnographical portraits in the 1850s forming a partnership briefly in circa 1857-58. The series was originally entitled Costumes and Characters of Western India and appeared in the periodical The Indian Amateurs' Photographic Album published by the Bombay Photographic Society in 1856-57. Both photographers were keen contributing members. Several of the portraits in this lot were used (with new backgrounds inserted) in William Johnson's Residents and Visitors of Bombay (see lot 271).