Samuel Bourne New Delhi Chandni Chowk Antique Albumen Photograph

The Bourne and Shepherd studio in Calcutta was one of the most successful and well-known photography studios of the 19th century. Founded in 1863 by British photographers Charles Shepherd and Samuel Bourne, the studio quickly gained a reputation for producing high-quality albumen photographs of the Indian subcontinent. In 1866, Bourne relocated to Delhi, where he established a second studio. The Delhi studio proved to be even more successful than the Calcutta operation, due in part to Bourne’s skilled use of light and shadow. Among Bourne’s most famous photographs is the “Chandni Chowk” ( circa 1870), which captures the bustle of Delhi’s main market street. The photograph was widely reproduced and helped to establish Bourne’s reputation as one of the leading photographers of his day. This original albumen photograph from the Bourne studio is hand inscribed with the location of the image in graphite pencil from the artist. The photograph dated to the 19th century and was part of a larger folio of images from India.