Bourne Samuel & Shepherd Charles Paintings

Samuel Bourne, born in 1834, and Charles Shepherd, whose birth year is recorded as around 1830, were pioneering British photographers known for their significant contribution to the field of documentary photography, particularly in India during the 19th century. While much of Charles Shepherd's early life and death remain less documented, Samuel Bourne's journey into photography is well recorded. Bourne, initially a bank clerk in England, developed a profound interest in photography, which eventually led him to abandon his job and embark on a photographic expedition to India in 1863.

Upon his arrival in India, Bourne's photographic work quickly gained recognition for its exceptional quality and artistic merit. He traveled extensively across the Indian subcontinent, capturing its diverse landscapes, monumental architecture, and cultural practices with his camera. His photographs were not only technically superior, employing the wet-collodion process that required developing images on the spot, but also artistically compelling, offering a glimpse into the colonial era's visual and cultural tapestry.

Charles Shepherd, on the other hand, had been active in India from the 1850s, specializing in photographing architecture, landscapes, and cultural scenes. Shepherd's work in India is noted for its meticulous attention to detail and composition, reflecting a deep engagement with the subjects he photographed.

In 1862, Bourne and Shepherd joined forces, establishing 'Bourne & Shepherd' in Kolkata (then Calcutta), which soon grew into one of the most successful and renowned photographic studios of the time, not just in India but globally. The studio's clientele included British royalty, Indian maharajas, and the burgeoning middle classes, eager to have their portraits taken by these master photographers.

The partnership between Bourne and Shepherd lasted until 1870 when Bourne returned to England, leaving the studio in Shepherd's hands. Despite Bourne's departure, the 'Bourne & Shepherd' studio continued to flourish under Shepherd's direction before eventually changing hands. Samuel Bourne passed away in 1912, but the exact date of Charles Shepherd's death remains unknown. The legacy of Bourne & Shepherd lives on through their vast collection of images that offer an invaluable visual record of 19th-century India, its landscapes, and its people. The studio itself, surviving various challenges, including a devastating fire in 1991, continued to operate until its closure in 2016, making it one of the world's oldest photographic studios.