Vintage Indian Photographs

One of my favorite internet searches is of ‘Vintage Indian Photos.’  I can go down a deep hole for hours, hopping around to different Tumblr pages looking for black and white photos of the most ornately adorned royals or dancing tribal women.  There is nothing more graceful and chic than a woman in traditional Indian dress.  When I’m in India, I marvel at the beauty of barefoot women chanting in temples, wearing brightly colored saris with their long hair pulled back to show all of their gold jewelry.  What they embody and portray is unparalleled and beyond inspiring.  A classic photo I recently came across was of Jackie O. in India, surrounded by locals in front of the Taj Mahal in 1962.  She looks incredibly elegant, and she gives an air of appreciation for Indian culture (there are some great videos on YouTube of her and Lee Radziwill exploring India).  But the photos I really keep going back to are of Indian people and culture, a never-ending fascination for me.  On my first trip to Jodhpur, I spent half a day in an antique store hunting for old imagery to bring home.  I have a small collection of black and white photos that were painted over with colorful decorations.  They aren’t valuable by any means, but they are a reminder of why I adore India and its culture so much.