Lala Deen Dayal

Dayal, Lala Deen (also Din Diyal; 1844-1905 or 1910), Indian commercial photographer, educated as a draughtsman at Thomason Engineering College, Roorkee. According to an autobiographical note, Dayal took up photography in 1874, receiving patronage from the maharaja of Indore, as well as important British officials such as the viceroy, Lord Northbrook. During this time Dayal concentrated on architectural and landscape studies in central India. In 1884-5 he accompanied Sir Lepel Griffin on an archaeological tour, resulting in Famous Monuments of Central India (1886) containing 39 collotype reproductions from his photographs.

After a short time in government employment in the Indore Public Works Department, Dayal became court photographer to Mahbub Ali Khan, 6th nizam of Hyderabad (reg. 1869-1911). The Muslim ruler of pre-1947 India's largest princely state, he had been invested with full powers in 1884, on the termination of a regency. His vast territories, extensive jewellery collection, and patronage of the arts established the nizam in many minds as the richest man in the world. In place of a court painter, he decided to appoint Dayal as the official court photographer in 1884, giving him the title ‘Raja’ in 1894. Dayal created a modern public image for a traditional Indian ruler, designed to be palatable to the British Raj. He was expected to document official visits from royalty and politicians from Britain, Germany, Austria, Russia, and Greece, and record a variety of military, social, and official occasions. He also travelled extensively to photograph the ‘nizam's Dominions’, producing architectural and topographical views for albums which were subsequently presented to the nizam's guests.

In 1886 Dayal established a studio in Secunderabad, and a zenana (women only) studio was added in 1892. But during his time as court photographer he moved away from commercial topographical work, concentrating instead on royal portraiture and his other duties. He employed many Indian and European assistants in his studios, several later establishing their own businesses, such as Herzog and Higgins. In the late 1890s, his two sons Raja Gyan Chand and Lala Dharam Chand took over much of the work, opening a Bombay studio in 1896 which lasted until Lala Dharam's death in 1904. Following the death of the nizam, court patronage ceased, although during the 1930s the 7th nizam employed the firm on several occasions. Today Deen Dayal is considered the most significant Indian photographer of the 19th century.

— Sophie C. Gordon

Bibliography

• Dayal, L. Deen, “‘A Short Account of my Photographic Career by Lala Deen Dayal (in his Own Words)’”, 18 July 1899 (British Library, Eur. MSS D1132)

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Lala Deen Dayal
Born	1844
Died	1910
Nationality	Indian
Field	Photography

Lala Deen Dayal (1844 - 1910) (also known as Raja Deen Dayal^[1]) was a pioneer Indian photographer and court photographer to the sixth Nizam of Hyderabad, Mahbub Ali Khan, Asif Jah VI.

Dayal was born in Sardhana, Uttar Pradesh and first trained as an engineer but took up photography in about 1864. The following year he was commissioned to photograph the Governor General's tour of Central India^[2]. In 1866 Deen Dayal entered government service as Head Estimator and Draughtsman^[3].

In 1868 Deen Dayal founded the firm Lala Deen Dayal & Sons, and was subsequently commissioned to photograph various temples and palaces of India^[4]. He established studios in Secunderabad, Bombay, and Indore in the 1870s^[5].

In 1875-1876, Deen Dayal photographed the Royal Tour of the Prince and Princess of Wales^[6]. In the early 1880s he travelled with Sir Lepel Griffin through Bundelkhand, photographing the ancient architecture of the region^[7].

Deen Dayal was appointed photographer to the Viceroy of India in 1885^[8]. The next year he retired from government service and concentrated on his career as a professional photographer. Soon afterwards he moved from Indore to Hyderabad to work for the Nizam of Hyderabad, who conferred the honorary title of Raja upon him. It was at this time that Dayal created the firm Raja Deen Dayal & Sons in Hyderabad^[9].

Deen Dayal was appointed photographer to Queen Victoria in 1887^[10].

In 1905-1906, Raja Deen Dayal accompanied the Royal Tour of the Prince and Princess of Wales^[11]. Dayal died in Bombay.

Notes

1. ^ The Library of Congress (i.e. the Anglo-American Name Authority) gives the date of his death as 5 July 1905, which is probably an error, and gives the preferred form of his name as "Deen Dayal, Raja". The Union List of Artist Names gives his year of death as 1910 and the preferred form of his name as "Dayal, Lala Deen".
2. ^ Johnson.
3. ^ Thomas, 24.
4. ^ Johnson.
5. ^ Thomas, 31.
6. ^ Thomas, 24.
7. ^ Thomas, 39.
8. ^ Thomas, 40
9. ^ Thomas, 40.
10. ^ Thomas, 40
11. ^ Thomas, 40.

References

• Anglo-American Name Authority File, s.v. “Deen Dayal, Raja”, LC Control Number n 79141503, cited 18 August 2006.
• Canadian Centre for Architecture; Collections Online, s.v. “Dayal, Lala Deen”, cited 18 August 2006.
• Johnson, William S. Nineteenth-Century Photography: An Annotated Bibliography, 1839-1879 (Boston: G.K. Hall, 1990).
• Thomas, G. History of photography, India, 1840-1980 (Andhra Pradesh: Andhra Pradesh State Akademi of Photography, 1981), 24, 31, 39, 40.
• Union List of Artist Names, s.v. "Dayal, Lala Deen", cited 18 august 2006.

Further reading

• Princely India: Photographs by Raja Deen Dayal, 1884-1910 (Unknown Binding)by Deen Dayal (Author) [1]
• Raja Deen Dayal : Prince of Photographers By Narendra Luther ISBN 81-901752-0-3 [2]

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