zenana studio

‘Zenana’, a term commonly used in South Asia, refers to that part of an establishment reserved exclusively for women. In 19th-century India, a number of women-only photographic studios were established, the best known being Deen Dayal's zenana studio in Hyderabad. It opened in 1892, run by an Englishwoman, Mrs Levick, wife of the editor of the Deccan Times. One of the earliest examples was Mrs Mayer's studio, based in Calcutta 1863-6. Occasionally a photographer's wife—such as Mrs Garrick in Calcutta in 1878-9—would run a zenana studio as part of her husband's business.

— Sophie C. Gordon