Rare photographs of India’s freedom struggle exhibited

The Story in Brief

Three exhibitions in Mumbai, Gurugram, and New Delhi showcase rare photographs and archives documenting India's independence movement. Saffronart in Mumbai is auctioning the archive of Anand T Hingorani, a Dandi March participant, on August 18 and 19, including photographs by Kanu Gandhi and Dady Wadia. Museo Camera in Gurugram displays press photographer Kulwant Roy's work from the 1930s to 1960s, capturing leaders and workers. At the India Habitat Centre, the Tuli Research Centre exhibits prints, posters, and clippings from pre- and post-Independence India.

The visuals, aided by advances in photography, helped circulate nationalist ideas but also omitted painful events like the 1943 Bengal Famine and Partition riots, historian Indivar Kamtekar notes. The collections span iconic images of Gandhi, Bhagat Singh, and dam builders, reflecting optimism of the era while reminding viewers of history's selective lens.