The book, A Dictionary of Photography for the Amateur and Professional Photographer by EJ Wall, dating back to 1889, has become a centre of attraction at the ongoing 6th All India Photography Exhibition organised by College of Arts Photographic Society (CAPS) in Lucknow. The rare manuscriot, with its rusted, weathered pages, has especially captivated the visibly young crowd and photography enthusiasts of the digital age, offering a glimpse into the terminology, techniques and equipment of photography that was still evolving more than a century ago. Part of the Government College of Arts and Crafts’ archival library, the book documents the science and practice of early photography.
A picture of the rare 1889 photography dictionary
According to Atul Hundoo, Assistant Professor of Photography at the University of Lucknow, the book contains an A-to-Z glossary of photographic terms. “It explains the processes and equipment used by photographers of the time. The first edition of the book was published in 1889 and has a glossary of words related to photography and concepts that describe and explain the terms. From aberration to lenses, apertures and camera mechanisms, the book reflects a time when photographers needed to understand the science behind an image as much as the act of taking one,” he explains. Other rare books on display included Micro-Art, Practical Effects of Photography and Lee Frost’s The A-Z of Creativity.
BCCL
BCCL
This also brings light to the fact that the city has long been at the heart of India’s photography history. Lucknow University was among the earliest institutions in India to introduce a master’s programme in photography. The city also produced another milestone in Dr Tulika Sahu, who studied at the College of Arts and Crafts and became the first Indian woman to earn a PhD in Photography.-Amina Ashraf
