Vintage Devadasi and Nautch photos

Prof. Frances Pritchett, Columbia University, New York
Image Courtesy: http://www.urdustudies.com/auinfo/auphotos/PritchettF2002.jpg

I recently came across the webpages of Dr. Frances W. Prichett, professor of Modern Indic Languages at the Coulmbia University, New York. The collection in her website are one stop short of being marvelous. Every webpage has the mark of his meticulous documentation on various India-related topics. One such topic that caught my attention was a page titled “Women’s Spaces” and voila, what do I see? Some superbly amazing vintage photos of nautch and devadasi photos. The source of these photos are another eye-brow raiser, which is Ebay. That’s right, some of these photos were (are?) for sale in the hard copies!!!

While the webpages have photos from all parts of India, I have culled from them the most interesting ones and my favorites (Watch out for the “photoshopped” one!). And for those who wish to see the entire collection, I have the entire collection as well below.

Click on images to see bigger size (my comments in italics)

“Dancing girls of Pondicherry,” from ‘Naturgeschichte und Abbildungen des Menschen der verschiedenen Rassen und Stamme nach den neuesten Entdeckungen und vorzuglichsten Originalien.’, by Heinrich Rudolf Schinz, published in Basel by Honeggerschen Lithographischen Anstalt, 1836-45.

“Dance of the Bayaderes,” from ‘Voyage aux Indes orientales et a la Chine’ by Pierre Sonnerat, 1782 (vol 1, pg 41)

Dancing girls and musicians from Madras, a drawing by Christopher Green, c.1800 (Representation of the Dancing Girls on the Coast of Coromandel, Christopher
Green (c. 1745–1805) Copyright The British Library Board WD 4510)

“Devedassis or Bayaderes,” by Frederic Shoberl, ‘The World in Miniature: Hindoostan’ (London: R. Ackerman, 1820’s)

“Bayadere,” from Marechal’s ‘Costumes of the World’, 1782

“Devedaschie, of Indiasche Danseresse,” from Jacob Haffner’s book Reize in eenen Palaquin, 1808 (vol1, pg 224)

“The Dance of the Apsaras,” a relief from Bharhut, in the Indian Museum, Calcutta; a photogravure (1925) – One of the oldest sculptural descriptions of court dance, Gupta Period

Coolie life in India–an operatic performance,” from The Graphic, 1878 (looks like a street dance drama)

A Hindu dasi, or nautch girl,” a print from a watercolor by Lady Lawley, 1914

The upscale modern “classical” dancer: a travel poster, Government of India, 1962 (Kamala Lakshman)

Nautch girls, Hyderabad; a photo by Hooper and Western, 1860’s

A Nautch Girl [from Ceylon], from Customs of the World, ed. by Walter Hutchinson, London, 1931

Gentoo dancing girls from Madras, displaying jewellery,” a photo by Nicholas and Curths, 1870

Studio portrait of a dancing girl, Madras, c.1890’s (Note the “photoshop” around the waist, a routine editing technique used in early photographs)

“Dancing beggars of Southern India,” an engraving, Illustrated London News, 1863 (Not sure why it is titled as beggars)

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Here is the rest of the vintage photos

Click on the first image to start the slideshow and if you want to see a larger image, right click and open in a new window.

Nautch girls, Bombay,” by Taurines, c.1880’s

A photo probably by Bourne, from the 1860’s

Cashmere nautch girl; a photo by Samuel Bourne, 1860

Natch girls of Srinugger, Cashmere

Nautch girls [Kabul],” a photo by John Burke, c.1879-80

Nautch girls [Kabul],” a photo by John Burke, c.1879-80

Hand-colored photograph of two dancing girls, probably from western India, c.1890s

Delhi dancing girls with musicians,” early 1900’s (?)

A group of dancing girls, a postcard photo, late 1800’s

Photos, early 1900’s, from Gobind Ram & Oodey Ram, Jaipur

Photos, early 1900’s, from Gobind Ram & Oodey Ram, Jaipur

Photos, early 1900’s, from Gobind Ram & Oodey Ram, Jaipur

Photos, early 1900’s, from Gobind Ram & Oodey Ram, Jaipur

Photos, early 1900’s, from Gobind Ram & Oodey Ram, Jaipur

Photos, early 1900’s, from Gobind Ram & Oodey Ram, Jaipur

Photos, early 1900’s, from Gobind Ram & Oodey Ram, Jaipur

Photos, early 1900’s, from Gobind Ram & Oodey Ram, Jaipur

Studio portrait of a “Mohammedan dancing girl,” Jaipur, c.1890’s

Nautch girls, Kashmir,” an albumen print by Frith, c.1870’s

Dancers of Kashmir,” a captioned photo, 1928

A Gipsy Dancing Girl, Kathiawar,” a photo by Taurines, 1880’s

A dancing girl (?), Lucknow, 1870; photo attributed in a caption to Daroghah Abbas Ali

A group of musicians, North India, c.1870’s

Native Nautch at Delhi [or Shalimar?], 1864

A photograph of two dancing girls, by K. L. Brajbasi & Co., Patna, c.1910’s

A studio photo, c.1870, location unknown

Nautch girls,” an albumen print, c.1880’s

A photo from ‘People of All Nations’, by J. A. Hammerton, c.1920

Calcutta, c.1900 (A color version with another title appears next)

A Nautch Girl and Musicians,” a postcard, earlier 1900’s

Dancing girl, Hindoo, Sind,” a photo from ‘The Peoples of India’, W. H. Allen, for the India Office, c.1872

accompanying prose to the previous image

Wuzeerun, bazar woman, Sarahanpoor

Accompanying prose description to the previous image

“Dancing Girls of the Punjab,” a steel engraving, 1840’s

“A Popular Pleasure Pavilion,” c.1750, from the collection of the Walters Museum

A dancing girl from Akbar’s time

“A girl dancing the khuarwa,” published in London, 1813

“A Nautch,” from ‘Views in India, Saint Helena and Car Nicobar, drawn from nature and on stone by John Luard’ (London: Dickinson, 1838)

“Indian Nautch,” from the Illustrated Times, 1858

A Nautch in the Palace of the Ameer of Sind [1808], by Capt. Melville Grindlay, 1841

“A Hindoo Festival Dance” from Ballou’s Pictorial, 1858

“Danza dei Ballerini delli Balok,” by Giulio Ferrario, from Il Costume Antico et Moderno, 1828 edition

“Danza delle Ram-genve ossieno Ballerine,” by Giulio Ferrario, from Il Costume Antico et Moderno, 1828 edition;

“A Nautch Girl or public female singer of India,” by Mrs. Belnos, London, c.1832

“Nautch girl of Ulwur,” an engraving from ‘India and its Native Princes’ by Louis Rousselet, 1878

“Bayadere, or Dancing-girl, Baroda”

Entertainment for the Prince of Wales at Calcutta, 1876

“Bayaderes (Professional Dancers) of Calcutta,” from ‘Peoples of the World’ by Robert Brown, 1892

The Bayadere, by G. Courtois, a wood engraving from 1880

“Nautch dancer,” print dated 1888, from a travel book (?)

“Dancing-girl of Cashmere,” a wood engraving from the 1870’s by Emile Bayard

“The Egg Dance [at the court of Bhopal],” by Emile Bayard, from ‘Le Tour du Monde’, 1873

Nautch girls, Bombay,” from The Graphic, 1875

“A Nautch Girl Dancing,” by R. Caton Woodville, from the Illustrated London News, 1891

“Nautch fencing dance before the Prince of Wales at Jummoo,” a print from 1876

A modern Kalighat painting of a dancing girl

“Dancers from Kashmir,” an engraving from ‘Le Tour du Monde’, 1883

“The Cathacks,” probably by A. de Neuville (Paris: Librarie Hachette, 1878); the scene is Bhopal

“Nautch girls, India,” from World Pictures, by Mortimer Menpes, London, c.1919 [1902]

Bayadere of Mewat

“Nautch or Dancing Girls at the Court of the Raja of Oodeypore,” a wood engraving, 1875

“Danceuse indienne,” oil painting by J. Pinchon

“Lady Musicians,” by Raja Ravi Varma

Rewah Royal Court Bayaderas,” an engraving by Emile Bayard, from ‘Le Tour du Monde’, 1873

“East Indian dancer, a photogravure by Edwin Lord Weeks (published by D. Appleton, 1880)

References:

http://www.columbia.edu/itc/mealac/pritchett/00routesdata/1800_1899/women/nautchearly/nautchearly.html

http://www.columbia.edu/itc/mealac/pritchett/00routesdata/1800_1899/women/nautchlater/nautchlater.html

http://www.columbia.edu/itc/mealac/pritchett/00routesdata/1800_1899/women/nautchphotos/nautchphotos.html