jaipur street 1926
History of Jaipur

Vintage Pictures Of Jaipur | World Photography Day

I’m posting a few vintage photos of Jaipur clicked in the late 19th century onwards on World Photography Day. These old Jaipur photos were taken from a variety of websites; I have given credit to the respective sites at the end of this post. Most pictures were clicked by famous photographers of their respective time like Oodeyram Gobindram, Lala Deen Dayal, Bourne & Shepherd, etc.

Maharajah Ram Singh II (1835-1880 AD) of Jaipur was an ardent fan of photography. He was probably the first one to make hundreds of prints of Jaipur clicking a variety of subjects like architecture, street life, local people, visitors & special occasions along with self-portraits. Many international traveling photographers and famous photo studios captured the pink city in pictures some of which are Bourne & Shepherd, and Gobindram Odeyram to name a few. All these vintage pictures are available on Google.

I’ll start with Maharajah Ram Singh II‘s picture. As per available details, this picture was shot in 1877 AD. You can also read a full post on photography by Maharajah Ram Singh II in this write-up Jaipur thru the king’s lens: Sawai Ram Singh II 

maharajah ram singh II

Here is a picture of the Hawa Mahal or Palace of Wind as is known among foreign tourists. This picture dates to around 1880 AD, 80 years after it was completed.

hawa mahal

Here is another shot of Hawa Mahal from 1895 AD

hm

The below picture captures Badi Chaupar overlooking the Hawa Mahal and markets in the surroundings. In the background, one can see Nahargarh Fort towering over the city with WELCOME written over the Nahargarh hill just below the fort. This picture dates to 1926 AD.

1905 hawa mahal

Here is another picture that captures the street and Bazaar view of Jaipur from a similar time frame. The building in pink color on the left side used to be a Haveli (mansion) which was later converted into an art school. You can find the current pictures here in this write-up. Do read the full post on the Museum of Legacies, as it is known now.

jaipur street 1926

Picture of Amer Fort from 1910 AD. This palace was deserted in 1729 AD once the capital shifted from Amer to Jaipur.

Read the complete post-Amer Fort, The only guide you will ever need

Jaipur-Palace-1910

Picture of visiting state guests most likely Britishers during the colonial rule on a hunting game near Jaipur. The time is not indicated but I assume it’s from the early 1900s. You can find more such pictures in Shikaar Bagh- Hunting and yore over food and drinks

hunting game jaipur

Finally, a picture of the last Maharani (queen) of Jaipur Maharani Gayatri Devi. This picture was shot in the 1940s in her new palace- The Rambagh Palace. It is now a heritage hotel run by the Taj group. Rambagh Palace is rated as one of the best heritage hotels in India. Maharani Gayatri Devi was incredibly popular among people. She is considered one of the most beautiful queens, ever! gayatri devi

Here is a picture of the Tripolia Gate in the walled city area of Jaipur. It is an undated photo and is presumed to be from the 1940s.

tripolia-gate-jaipur-bazaar-old-photo
Tripolia Gate in an old picture

Here is an old photo of Brijnidhi Mandir from Jaipur photographed by Martin Hurlimann.

brij nidhi temple jaipur martin hurlimann indien 1928

I hope you liked these old pictures of Jaipur. You watch more old pictures of Jaipur in my series Jaipur Then And Now which captures the changes over a period of 50-150 years. You can find it here Jaipur Then And Now 

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The source of the above pictures are reckontak.com, http://www.oldindianphotos.in, http://www.columbia.edu/, blog.chaukhat.com

41 thoughts on “Vintage Pictures Of Jaipur | World Photography Day”

      1. :D:D:D your making me laugh again arv ……an interesting one tho you have to admit
        It all comes tumbling out as it is ….whatever is in my head comes tumbling out into the blogosphere:D:D:D

        Liked by 2 people

    1. I agree. Its a tough job given the quantum of forts and palaces we have! I hope we can carry this legacy forward for future generations. 🙂

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  9. Beautiful pictures Arv! I have a few old photo’s of India in my family history, my Great Great Grandfather was in India (1860’s) in Kurrachee,Bombay & Maharashtra, India. A couple of my Great cousins were born there…..not a good time for India…..
    Sorry no photo’s at the river yet..I had emergency Appendectomy on Thursday..no swimming for at least a week or two! Late next week though! 🙂 T.

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    1. vintage pictures? wow that’s great…I would love to have a look at that! Sorry to hear about your emergency appendectomy! 😦
      Hope you’re better now! wish you a speedy recovery!

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  15. I really love old black and white photos. Not only do they have more atmosphere, but they are great historically. What a great collection. I am always looking out for old black and white pictures of India or Africa. Me and the whole world, sadly. The blog was such a good read. I am going to look at the 70th independent one next. Your photos are vey clear and sharp. It makes mine look very amateurish. Thank you

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    1. I’m happy you liked them.
      I was thinking of doing then and now series. Let’s see….
      I also love old vintage pictures Jackie!
      Thanks for sharing your thoughts here. Much appreciated! 🙂

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  17. Pingback: Photography By Sawai Ram Singh II | Jaipur Thru The King’s Lens – JaipurThruMyLens

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