Talk on photography in early Bombay on 19 January

Organised by the Asiatic Society of Mumbai, Mumbai Research Centre, the third part of the lecture series on the advent of photography in Bombay — The Advent of Photography in Bombay: Early Photobooks — will be hosted at Vakil & Sons, II Floor, Industry Manor, Appasaheb Marathe Marg, Prabhadevi on 19 January 2024 at 6 pm.

Founded in 1926, Vakil & Sons is an integral part of the printing history of Bombay. This makes it a perfect setting to explore the emerging linkages between print and photography. 

Murali Ranganathan, a historian of nineteenth-century Mumbai, will talk about the earliest photo-illustrated books which began to emerge as a new genre in publishing in 1850s and were conceived or published in Bombay. 

He will also talk about the photographers, publishers and sponsors who came together to produce these books, which are now sought-after collectables. 

Following this, Bimal Mehta, managing director of Vakil & Sons will speak about the legacy of Vakils.