Long Exposure The Camera at Udaipur, 1857-1957

Long Exposure The Camera at Udaipur, 1857-1957 : The Pictorial Archives of the Maharanas of Mewar are comprised of photographic materials ranging from glass-plate negatives, card photographs, photomontages, and painted photographs. Photographic processes like albumen, platinum and gelatin silver prints extending from the mid 19th to the early 20th century are well represented. The collection also includes cameras and other photographic equipment from this period. Photographs in a variety of evolving technologies continue to be added to the Archives on a regular basis, extending the scope of the collection to the contemporary digital age.

The documenting and digitizing of this visual material has meant that increased access to collections is now possible for the wider public with the distinct possibility of online access in the near future. These initiatives at Udaipur and at other former Princely States of India has meant that archives are no longer restricted to the written word and has consequently greatly expanded their scope. A further step would be to link these various archives into a virtual collective, holding immense possibilities for the future.