The pictures were taken between 1857 and 1865, and the collection of glass negatives were to remain untouched for more than a century. Under the watchful eye of British photographer T. Murray, the Maharaja – who became known as the country’s first Photographer Prince and who often used his four wives as subjects – developed his interest in the emerging art, and took intimate shots of the ornately-dressed people who surrounded him each day.
According to accounts of his life, he spent hours in his laboratory developing photographs and recording images which proved a treasure trove for historians. These images give a rare insight into the life of a 19th Century Indian Maharajah.
Portrait of a woman in the harem of the royal palace of Jaipur, India, 1857–1865. (Photo by Maharaja Ram Singh III/Alinari via Getty Images)
Full portrait of a woman in the harem in the royal palace of Jaipur, India, 1857–1865. (Photo by Maharaja Ram Singh III/Alinari via Getty Images)
Portrait of a woman in the harem of the royal palace of Jaipur, India, circa 1857. (Photo by Maharaja Ram Singh III/Alinari Archives, Florence/Alinari via Getty Images)
Double portrait of a woman in the harem of the royal palace of Jaipur, India, 1857–1865. (Photo by Maharaja Ram Singh III/Alinari via Getty Images)
Double portrait of a woman in the harem of the royal palace of Jaipur, India, 1857–1865. (Photo by Maharaja Ram Singh III/Alinari via Getty Images)
Portrait of a female supervisor of the harem in the royal palace of Jaipur, India, 1857–1865. (Photo by Maharaja Ram Singh III/Alinari via Getty Images)
Self-portrait of the Maharajah Ram Singh III, in the royal palace of Jaipur, India, 1857–1865. (Photo by Maharaja Ram Singh III/Alinari via Getty Images)
Portrait of a fakir, in the Royal Palace of Jaipur, India, 1857–1865. (Photo by Maharaja Ram Singh III/Alinari via Getty Images)
Portrait of the minister of the Maharajah, in the royal palace of Jaipur, India, circa 1857. (Photo by Maharaja Ram Singh III/Alinari Archives, Florence/Alinari via Getty Images)
Portrait of a prince in the royal court of the palace of Jaipur, India, circa 1857. (Photo by Maharaja Ram Singh III/Alinari Archives, Florence/Alinari via Getty Images)
Full portrait of a noteworthy man in the royal palace of Jaipur, India, 1857–1865 (Photo by Maharaja Ram Singh III/Alinari via Getty Images)
Group portrait of noteworthy men and visitors, in the Royal Palace of Jaipur, India, 1857–1865. (Photo by Maharaja Ram Singh III/Alinari via Getty Images)
