Samuel Bourne and Colin Murray: Early Photography from Delhi, Agra and Rajasthan

On display are prints from the 1860s and 1870s, originally taken in the 'Golden Triangle' of Delhi, Agra and Jaipur in Rajasthan by Samuel Bourne, the legendary photographer of the Indian subcontinent, and his much less well-known successor, Colin Murray.

Most of the selected photographs depict famous architectural monuments captured for eternity, many of which remain popular tourist sights even today. The exhibited photographs are considered important cultural historical artefacts from the 19th century not merely for the much praised picturesque style of the Bourne & Shepherd Studio, but also because they are historical documents that, in many instances, show the monuments in a completely different state to that which they are in today.

In this selection from the rich fund of Bourne and Murray photographs owned by the various collections of the National Museums in Berlin, the focus has been purposefully placed on India's architectural highlights as a humble counterpart to the major exhibition of architectural photography, organised by the Art Library, currently on show in the restored Kaisersaal in the Museum of Photography in Jebenstaße.

Photo: Samuel Bourne, Quwwat-al-Islam Moschee, Delhi um 1866 © Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Museum für Asiatische Kunst