Narayan Rao Kulkarni started his journey as a self taught photographer in 1920s. This means we are dealing with nearly 100 years old negatives and prints which have not been preserved in best conditions. So first thing we need to undertake is preserving them from … Continue reading Learning ABC of Preservation for Archiving
My Nana – Narayan Rao Kulkarni had followed Gandhi right from Belgaum congress -1924 to Noakhali Peace March in 1946. There are close-ups of Gandhi which also show that he had access and permission to be in close proximity. Here are two clicks – one … Continue reading Lesser Known Photographer of Mahatma Gandhi
Some of the scanned photographs are frozen moments when the family came together for a family photograph. Not sure if descendants have these photos which were clicked at Kalanidhi Studio by Narayan Rao Kulkarni and his staff. Like John Berger has said – the raw … Continue reading Family Photographs in Monochrome
Here is one of the clicks of probably a local woman with her kid which was scanned from a negative of Nana’s collection. What is intriguing is – lack of a big smile on the faces of people. They seem to be holding their expression … Continue reading Early Portrait Photography – A hint of a smile and a tear
My Nana – Narayan Rao Kulkarni had perhaps established Kalanidhi photo studio in Bijapur sometime in 1920s-1930s. It was a regular commercial photo studio where they would get steady customers. He has experimented with family and portrait photography as there are clicks of families, newly … Continue reading A Portrait of a Boy On A Tricycle
I am shocked and stunned by the demise of table Maestro Zakir Hussain. I wanted to share the photos clicked by my Nana – Narayan Rao Kulkarni with him someday but didn’t realise life is unpredictable even for icons like him who seem immortal. He … Continue reading Tabla Maestro Zakir Hussain through lens of my Nana
I never met my Nana as he passed on in a few months after I was born. I don’t know if he had a chance to see me. All I know and heard about Narayan Rao Kulkarni, my maternal grandfather was through my mother, her … Continue reading My Nana – Narayan Rao Kulkarni
This is one of my favourite clicks of my grandfather – My Nana – Narayan Rao Kulkarni. The image speaks volumes about multiple aspects – Indian women’s traditional attire then – nine yards sari with flowers in their hair and their boldness. This image itself … Continue reading Women on the Cannon
It is the centenary commemoration of Belgaum Congress which was held in 1924. This important turning point in the India’s political history was also one of the earliest photo journalistic work of Narayan Rao Kulkarni, Bijapur. He went on to establish a studio in the … Continue reading Belgaum Congress 1924 – Beginning of Narayan Rao Kulkarni’s photography journey
Narayan Rao Kulkarni's 