Chronology of Kamat Photo Archive

Phase I
1950s to 1970s

Phase II
1980s and 1990s

Phase III
Late 1995-2002

Early Years

Accumulation of Kamat Archive

Color Photography and Last Years

1958 -- Kamat pursues photography in Karnatak College Dharwad using borrowed equipment.

1964 -- Kamat envies the cameras of classmates in Syracuse, and on his way back to India, buys an Exacta in Germany.

1969 -- While working in Plassey in Bengal, Kamat photographs rural West Bengal and especially the Santals.

1970 -- Kamat establishes Scientific Photo Lab and in the process sets up his own darkroom.

1974 -- Kamat travels extensively in India photographing Ajanta, Ellora,  and Belur, and studies the depiction of animal life in Indian sculptures.

1981 -- Kamat gets a rare opportunity to document sacred Jaina archives of Shravanabelagola.

1983 -- Kamat gets an opportunity to travel in remotest corners of Karnataka to study temple archives and folk-artists.

1986 -- During a raid on a art-smugglers warehouse, valuable artifacts are discovered by CBI. Kamat is asked to identify and document them. See: Pictures of CBI Seize I

1991 -- Kamat restores precious portrait collection from Manohara Grintha Mala featuring Kannada writers and scholars.

1993 -- Kamat extensively photographs and studies the paintings and murals of Karnataka, especially the Kavi Art.

1996 -- Kamat switches to color photography as his primary medium.

1999 -- Kamat goes on a photographic rampage documenting the last days of the millennium.

2000 -- Computer technology makes possible affordable transfer of Kamat film negatives into hard-copy prints. We are ourselves amazed by the diversity of the archive.

2002 -- Kamat passes away, leaving behind an estimated two hundred thousand photographs.

50 Years of 
Kamat's Photography

Pictures

• Kamat Greenroom
• Stories Behind Stories
• Inside Kamat's Diaries