India's Photographers

Photographer Lala Deen Dayal

Lala Deen Dayal was born in 1844 in Meerut, in a family of jewelers. An engineer by education, Dayal was drawn to photography as early as 1875.  Those were early days of photography, and Deen Dayal used primitive equipment and chemicals. His first patron was Maharaja Tukoji Rao II of Indore, who introduced him to Sir Henry Daly, the British Agent at Indore, which eventually led to his appointment as "Photographer to His Excellency, the Viceroy".

Deen Dayal's albums of India views and ancient monuments became very popular and were bought as memorabilia and gifts by the British and Indian Royalty. 

Lala Deen Dayal, often referred to as "Raja Deen Dayal" after a title bestowed on him by the Nizam of Hyderabad, died in 1905. His  intimate glimpses into the lives of princes, and the British, ordinary fold and tribals, as well as vistas of archaeological sites, monuments and the architectural heritage of the country are collectors items today.

Some Photographs of Lala Deen Dayal

Kamat's Potpourri

A Royal Family of India
Anand Rao Pawar, Maharaja of Shar with his nephew, the heir apparent

Kamat's Potpourri

Interior of the Gwalior Palace
Photograph by Lala Deen Dayal, ca 1880

Kamat's Potpourri

Maharani Anita Delgado of Kapurthala
Photograph of wife of Maharaja Jagatjit Singh

See Also:

• Indian Landscapes -- Depiction of Indian landscapes by European artists of 18th and 19th century.

• Lala Deen Dayal -- Lala Deen Dayal's Photo Collection

Kamat's Potpourri India Reference Database India's Photographers