Chabi Tola by Siddhartha Ghosh [Hardcover]

That was a time.
At a corner of Radha Bazaar, a frail, gray-haired old man stood holding a small glass positive plate, shouting repeatedly, "Photograph! Photograph!" Every time he spotted a rural passerby, he would eagerly ask, "Sir, would you like to get your picture taken? Just four annas, and you'll have a wonderful portrait!"

That was a time.
In front of a monochrome scenic backdrop, carved like a theater set, an eager customer sat breathless, as if awaiting execution. Perched on a wooden tripod was a massive plate camera, while the photographer, his face hidden beneath a black cloth, adjusted the focus on a ground glass plate. Holding the lens cap in his hand, he chanted, "There goes the bird, flying away..." or "One, twice, thrice!" before swiftly covering the lens again with a dramatic flourish.

That was a time.
At Town Hall, after delivering a speech, Rajendralal Mitra secretly fled in a horse-drawn carriage. He escaped with his life, but due to British conspiracies, he had to forfeit his position as the first unpaid treasurer of the Photographic Society of Bengal.

Siddhartha Ghosh’s fascinating and meticulously researched book makes a remarkable attempt to bring back the era when Bengalis were first exploring photography. It uncovers the untold stories behind many scenes and events of the 19th century—how photography made its way into the inner sanctums of Hindu households, even temple rooms, despite initial resistance to the foreign invention. It narrates the hidden histories of familiar figures like Ishwar Gupta, Vidyasagar, Bankim Chandra, Ramakrishna, and Rabindranath, as well as the lesser-known creators of their iconic photographs.

The book also tells the stories of both celebrated and obscure personalities—Jnanadanandini Devi of the Tagore family, Bibi Roziyo Lane’s Chanchalabala Dasi, Maharaja Bir Chandra Manikya, Aryakumar Chowdhury, Neel Madhab Dey, Sarat Chandra Sen, Upendrakishore, Sukumar, and Jamini Roy. It meticulously chronicles the photographic pursuits of over a hundred Bengalis and Bengali institutions, spanning diverse professions and financial backgrounds—an unknown, thrilling history of photography in Bengal.

Alongside this, the book presents a counter-narrative to the exaggerated achievements of European photographers in India. A vast, rare collection of color and black-and-white photographs—most printed on art plates—further enhances the book’s appeal, making it an invaluable treasure trove of photographic history.