For well over a century , picture taking studio Bourne & Shepherd operated out of a four - story building in Kolkata . Serving as the stage setting for portraits of politicians and panjandrum , writers , creative person , and everyday Indian citizen , the studio apartment continued to lock even as technology change and other photography studios begin to go away . But now , Hyperallergicreports , Bourne & Shepherd has finally closed its doors and put by its television camera for good . The stop marks the end not only of a historical Kolkata store , but of the longest continuously incline picture taking studio in the populace .
plant in 1863 by Samuel Bourne and Charles Shepherd , Bourne & Shepherd once had legion locations throughout India , as well as in Paris and London . The Kolkata shop opened in 1910 and was operated by European proprietors before being get by K.J. Ajmer and Jayant Gandhi in 1964 . The pair keep on to scarper the studio apartment until it shut this April .
During the nineteenth century , Hyperallergic explain , lensman Samuel Bourne not only melt picture taking studios , he also travel throughout India , document its mass and traditions . subsequently , photographer employed by the studio apartment were hired to be the official photographer of the Delhi Durbar of 1911 , commemorating the coronation of King George V and Queen Mary . Over the course of the mid to late 20th century , meanwhile , the Kolkata studio became known for matchmaking portraits of possible brides .
“ portrayal were our strong point , ” Gandhi toldQuartz . “ There was a time when Bengali family had to get a pretty picture of their girl get through for the married delegacy . There were no cameras at home and where else would you go but to the studio ? After they got marry , they would come to the studio apartment for a twain - photo . ”
After almost a century in cognitive process , the studio apartment in the end cut down on hard times in 1991 when a fire destroyed part of the building . Now , after a 14 - yr legal battle involving job with the building and rent , Gandhi has officially decided to retire . He told Quartz that after so many years , his client and employees were like family , making the shop ’s closure bittersweet . “ Some of them had been with me for three X and more , ” he explained . “ They still call me to line up out if I am doing all right . It feels good . ”
[ h / tHyperallergic ]
