20th Century Families

20th Century Families

Indian Family Photographs
First Online: May 5, 2002
Page Last Updated: March 09,2008

Introduction

This section is created from Kamat's collection of family photographs. For most part of the twentieth century, Indians lived in what was known as the Hindu-Joint-Families, where multiple families shared same household, kitchen, bathrooms and even professions. As the decades passed, this family structure came under tremendous social pressure with need for privacy, and family planning, and towards the end of the century, the India moved towards a nuclear family.

I encourage students of sociology to carefully study this photographic exhibit. It uncovers a family lifestyle of the past, reveals how the family unit morphed in India during the British occupation and since, and beautifully illustrates what Indians have valued most -- the family as a divine unit. 

Like Kamat's Never Been Photographed, many photographs here are the first pictures taken of their life, and are important historically.

The logo is derived from a much publicized family planning campaign in India that failed miserably.

-Vikas Kamat
May 05, 2002

Table of Contents

• An Aunt and a Nephew
• Family Members of a Coppersmith Family, Herangadi
• The Family Vehicle
• Group Photo of a Gramokkal Village Kids
• Members of a Joint Family
• Members of a Halakki Farmer Family
• Members of a Family Cleaning Jackfruit
• Men of Konkani Brahmin Family

See Also:

• Kamat PictureSearch results for Families

• Never Been Photographed -- Look at this exhibition of people who have never been photographed, and see if the stills still move you.
  Is place in history, a privilege of the rich?

• The Indian Beauty -- Portrait gallery of beautiful Indian women by K. L. Kamat. A cross section of Indian population is represented in this series titled "The Fair Sex".

• Women of India -- Frequently asked questions and articles on the roles and status of women in India. Includes biographies, topics on Sati, widows, history and artifacts.

• The Children of India - Photo Exhibition