Biography

Lala Deen Dayal was born in Sardhana. He trained at Thomason Civil Engineering College, Roorkee and subsequently, in 1866, became the head estimator and draftsman at the Public Works Department, Indore. In 1874 he studied photography as an amateur with the encouragement of Sir Henry Daly. He photographed Lord Northbrook (Viceroy 1872-76) and the Prince of Wales (1875-76). He subsequently took a two year furlough to complete a series of views. He opened studios in Secunderabad and Indore (closed 1905). There was also a Bombay studio from 1896 to 1904. From 1892 Zenana Studio was operated by Mrs. Kenny-Levick at the Secunderabad studio. Dayal accompanied Sir Henry Daly on tour of Bundelkund Agencies and Sir Lepel Griffin on tour in 1882. He was the official photographer to Lord Dufferin (Viceroy 1884-88). In 1884 he was appointed official photographer to the Nizam of Hyderabad. Many of his photographs were accepted by the Archaeological Survey of India. His business was continued by his descendants. He also appears to have been known as Raja Deen Dayal (Desmond 1977, pp.316-317).

Publications:

Cole, H.H. (1884-5), 'Preservation of national monuments in India'. 2 volumes. Calcutta.

Griffin, Lepel (1886), 'Famous monuments of Central India: illustrated by a series of eighty-nine photographs in permanent autotype', London: Autotype Co., Henry Sotheran and Co.

'Photographs of places of interest in India' (1891 ?).

Sources:

Almanacs and directories.

Dayal, Raja Deen (1980), 'Princely India: photographs', edited and with text by Clark Worswick; foreword by John Kenneth Galbraith, London: H. Hamilton.

Desmond, Ray (1977), '19th century Indian photographers in India', 'History of Photography', Oct. 1977.

'A list of the photographic negatives of Indian antiquities in the collection of the Indian Museum with which is incorporated the list of similar negatives in the possession of the India Office' (1900), Calcutta: Office of the Superintendent of Government Printing, India.

Found in 30 Collections and/or Records: