PHOTOGRAPHY REIGNED IN CULTURAL CAPITAL LAHORE;
MANY FAMILIES OF PAINTERS PICKED NEW TECHNOLOGY.

It pains me to think that, shunned by West for a long time, knowledge about Lahore became more and more scarce. This adds to most things, and photography is one of them. Certainly world famous photographers stationed in India were visiting Lahore, It applies to Bourne and Shepherd too, like Samuel Bourne. One finds various photographs of people and monuments of Lahore by these photographers. Add to it the other casual visitors who were too bringing in their cameras and shooting personal photographs of Lahore. Most of them ended up being printed in books and journals. The way inward of photographic equipment was taking place.This was a replacement of traditional manuscripts with illustrations, and later by printing versions.

It is probable that the first batch of photographers and equipment was related to the influx of Archaeological survey of India, as well as the Mayo school of Arts. In any case there were a number of studios operating in Lahore, and they included both Hindu and Muslim owners. Studios like P. Girdhar Roy and sons in Anarkali around 1880s and Shankar Dass and Co, around 1911. Muslim owners Andrabi (Mcleod road) and Beg studios (Owner Rashid Beg) again in Anarkali. In Baghbanpura, Abdur Rahman Ejaz and his son Mian Majeed were there. Here also started Photo litho department at Mayo. A commercial requirement of the time. And the most interested was Abdur Rahman Chughtai. Somehow, he got access to a wooden camera with a big Zeis lens and with glass plates in it. He also got his hands on an aerograph pen and air throwing pedal compressor. He achieved fame by making an official photograph of Secy education, an Englishman, and the photo was used at various places. Family portraits became his speciality. But strangely he was also asked by publisher Mian Sirajuddin to make nude photographs of his favourite prostitute in Heera Mandi. The assistance was provided by Miran Baksh, Vice Principal Mayo School of Arts.

There was a Punjab Photographers Association and contests used to be held of various works. M. A Rahman Chughtai  used to send his chosen photographs and later used pseudonyms for contests in photography. Others participated too. A new media was largely being innovated here.

MARC undertook massive photographs of monuments in Agra and Delhi and had his dark room on the roof of his house. Dr Zafar Chughtai, his nephew, had a complete album of his monumental works. Various families asked him for group photos and many still had records at present. On 12th February, 1929 Abdur Rahman Chughtai made a number of photos of Dr Iqbal and his son. He colored one with his aerograph pen. In 1930s later a Parsee photographer Rustom P. Kharas made portrait of Dr Iqbal. He signed the same and it was published in Narang Khiyal magazine (a few times), and we have a record of same with his signature. There were also professional copyright photos done by Egyptian Photo Co, on 20th September, 1932. Not much is known about these Photo studios, but we can surmise the background of some.

Egyptian Photo Co, Lahore:A fresh research takes us to a famous personality, known as Meher Baba, who had an Ashram in Nashik, near Bombay. Intercession was also with Ahmedabad. One of his disciples, Rostum K, Irani was born in Ahmedabad in 1898, and disappeared in the Himalayas in August, 1941. He was the son of Kaikhushru Sarosh Irani. A devoted follower of Meher Baba, and possibly his nephew too. He was indulging in photography as well as film making. He appeared in front of Dr Allama Iqbal in 1931 or so. But he signs his name as Rostum P. Kharas. Being son of Kaikhushru, we can understand him writing as Rostum Kaikhushru, but where has Kharas come from? And he adds P, knowing that as Secretary of Meher Baba, he was known as PENDU. And he stops writing Irani with his name. Although it is understood that the whole family had Iranian background. But the remarkable thing is a photograph done in a studio of Dr Allama Iqbal, on 20th september, 1932, and it is copyright by Egyptian Photo Co, Lahore. Why does a company or  a studio names itself as Egyptian, when there was no contact with the same.But there is. Meher Baba is seen in Devonshire in 1928, but in 1931, he is pictured in Egypt. A visit which seems to be repeated in 1932, and 1933. To pay homage to him, Rostum K. Kharas named his company in Lahore as Egyptian. There is a trailer available of a film he was making, and it is 1932. So the sequence of same can be explained. But why was Abdur Rahman Chughtai absent from the scene? Very simple the  artist was visiting Europe in 1931 and 1932, and was not in Lahore.  in his formal dress. it is naturally Dr Allama Iqbal. Obviously the photographs tell us a lot about the photographer and its studio. The initial photos of 1929 and 1931, it is same Allama Iqbal, but the different use of the chair, the carpet (or the Dari), and the expression as well as composition tells us a lot about the photographer. Strange two photos of Rustom P. Kharas are with us, returned from some Photo contest, and are with us and establish a line between both photographers. Perhaps returned as he had disappeared from scene.

Abdur Rahman Chughtai, has a record of many noteworthy photographs of various families and various monuments. Many professional photos were taken by him. This includes his favourite theme of Father and Son, as exhibited in many photographs. On 12th February, 1929, the photograph of Dr Iqbal with his son was taken by him on Eid day at Havelli Nizamuddin. The artist used to frequent the Haveli, because of his connection with its various inmates. In particular Dr Muhammed Taseer, nephew of Mian Nizamuddin.

Rostum P. Kharas (Rostum K. Irani).P stands for Pendu, and K for Kaikhushru: Professional photographer took the sitting photograph of Dr Allama Iqbal in 1931 and the copyright one in 1932 in Western dress. Made the Egyptian Photo Co in Lahore. Later in Havero, Amritsar, participated in Photo Shows. Disappeared in Himalayas in 1941 and never seen again.

Umrao Singh Sher-Gil Majithia (1870–1954) was an Indian aristocrat, scholar of Sanskrit and philosophy, and photographer. He was known as one of the pioneers of photography in India, leaving behind over 3,000 prints, including the hundreds of family portraits and over 80 self-portraits staged in a mise-en-scène style.
Amrita Sher Gil, the famous artist took a photograph of Dr Allama Iqbal in Paris, and she was daughter of Umrao Singh Sher-Gil Majithia. Necessary for record of that period.

With the death of Dr Allama Iqbal in 1938, the photography craze and had come to an end and led to sketches of him done by Abdur Rahman Chughtai, as well as the famous etching of him. Painted representation is in the book Amal-e-Chughtai. However detailed writing of the meetings are in various articles. There is a signed book of Bang darya, signed Afghan visit, a letter to Narang Khiyal, a letter condoling the death of Chughtais mother in 1925, as well as other letters. The original Foreword of Murraqqa e Chughtai is missing but advance copy is there. Iqbal’s tick of his best verses of Ghalib are there too. May both great men rest in peace!