What was the Delhi Durbar 1903? (2 Viewers)

[Ana Donzino]

Hi Ana,

I have always thought that the photographer in the tower had an amazing view! I often wondered who he might have been as well. Now I see with your close up photos he is flying and American Flag so I will have to see if I can figure out who he was and which paper or periodical he was working for! Very cool photos of all the elephants as well!

Dave

Dave! Look what I found!


In case you can't read the text below the stereo


Ana

 

[zblang]

So cool to find out who people are in old photos. Here is the wiki page on Professor Ricalton

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Ricalton

 

[Ana Donzino]

Thank you, Zach. I have a few pictures of Ricalton with the Kashmir giants. I will post them later today.

 

[Ana Donzino]

The Fourteenth pair was not a pair. It was a single elephant. With 2 elephants missing from the original 50, they kept the rows (25), so 2 of them had single elephants. The Narsingah elephant, alone.

We have a Narsingarh elephant in our line, not the state one but one at the Retainers Review (described at the Narsingarh camp in fact). It's retired now. It was made upon descriptions from the Menpes book (the Delhi Durbar one). We hardly had any photographs then (end of 2001), so we had to work with the few materials that we had. This elephant called our attention because it described a boy standing astride the elephant's tusks. Most of the rest was just imagined.


Beau Geste Narsingarh elephant (BG100) retired


First curve towards the South side of the Jumma Masjid


In front of the Main Hall, and leaving the city


East side of the Jumma


The elephant without the Maharaja at the Retainers Review

I can say, almost for sure, that this will be my next elephant (the one I will bring to the Chicago show)

Ana

 

[Ana Donzino]

Fifteenth pair of elephants: Sehr & Mukalla (Sehr and Mokalla, Sehr & Makala) and Patiala


The elephants coming from Khas road, going by the main front of the Jumma Masjid


First curve, turning to South side


The elephants towards Mori Gate, leaving the city


Below, Beau Geste Patiala elephant (BG87) retired
This was our first Main Procession elephant. Above, the only image that we at the time of making it. There's so much information about this elephant that I got to have after so many years that I owe myself to remake it eventually. Don't know when, but it will happen.

 

[Ana Donzino]

Sixteenth Pair: Sikkim and Bahawalpur


Sikkim and Bahawalpur, going by the front of the Jumma. We bought this photo from Corbis, and it was my first digital copy. I was amazed at the detail it had. We made our Sikkim elephant based on this picture many years ago, and I recently made the elephant of Nabha using that image too, many years later .


Same spot, a few minutes before


Beau Geste's Sikkim elephant (set BG142) retired


The exotic Sikkim guards

 

[Ana Donzino]

First curve around the Jumma Masjid


Same spot a few minutes later. Both images were taken from Ricalton's point of view (these are probably his photos)

 

[Ana Donzino]

A short post about the spectators and bystanders. They were everywhere. People arrived very early that morning. The traffic was crazy to arrive there, and even crazier to leave the city. There were specific viewers spots all along Khas Road, and the box where the dignataries and maharajas sat, in fron of the Main Hall.


The spectators, at the main stairs of the Jumma Masjid, the East side, pictured from South side. Top left, the European and American photographers and some occidental spectators. The more common photos of the Main Procession were taken from there, and even one of the best films was shot from that point. Toward the side you can see a few group of Baluch chiefs looking south. Closer to the elephants, the local spectators, standing on the stairs or sitting on chairs, really close to the elephants.


Chadni Chawk street, ready to receive the elephants


The VIP boxes for occidental guests and Indian princes and dignataries, at Chadni Chawk. With the Main Hall on their back, and in front of the clock tower.


The curve from Queen's Rd to Elgin Rd (that runs all along the Red Fort). On the right side, the tall walls of the train station, many people watching from there. On the left, Queen's garden, with a few bystanders looking. Most of the spectators focused around the Jumma Masjid.



The dignataries seats, in front of the Main Hall

 

[Ana Donzino]

Local spectators crowded around the Jumma Masjid


The Baluch Chiefs turning around at the end of Chadni Chawk. People in balconies, roofs, windows.

Same spot, the Main Procession. Check the signs attached at the balconies on the left. They probably had an Edward VII image.


The busy return home

 

[Ana Donzino]

Occidental spectators at the East side (the front) of the Jumma Masjid


Local viewers on the next tower


The main boxes along Khas Road


Shot taken from Khas road, in the same direction that the elephants took. On the left, some sitting spectators.

 

[Ana Donzino]

Beau Geste Occidental Spectators


BG382


BG383


BG384


BG385

 

[Ana Donzino]

Beau Geste Local Spectators


BG386


BG387


BG388


Some of them, all together

 

[Ana Donzino]

Sorry for the absence. My PC broke and it's being repaired. I'm working from my notebook now.

Seventeenth Pair: Cooch Behar (Cuch Behar, Koch Bihar) and Nabha.


Coming from Khas road


First curve of the Jumma Masjid

 

[Ana Donzino]

Beau Geste's Nabha elephant (set BG405)


The Nabha Group (sets BG405, BG406, BG407 and BG408)

 

[Ana Donzino]

Eighteenth Pair: Hill Tippera (Hill Tipperah, Tripura) and Jind (Jhind)


Main front of the Jumma


Same spot a few minutes later


First curve


Beautiful detail of the pair


Jind elephant at Queen's rd.

 

[Ana Donzino]

The Main Procession at the end of Chadni Chawk street


Beau Geste's Jind elephant (BG293)

Ana

 

[Ana Donzino]

Nineteenth Pair: Rampur and Kapurthala


In front of the Jumma Masjid, the favorite spot of the photographers and filmakers, and people in general. They could see the elephants coming at the distance from this spot, from a low or high point, and they had a huge staircase with enough space for all of them. Everybody could sit on the stairs while waiting for the Main Procession.





First Curve, South side. A popular spot too



The curve at the end of Chadni Chawk

 

[Ana Donzino]

Kapurthala detail I bought digital copies of 2 photographs from the British Library with this elephant. It's one of my favorite elephants for many reasons: the boy sitting by his father inside the howda, the shinny silver howda glowing with the sun, the elephant clothes pattern, the huge turbans, the white and blue umbrella


Beau Geste's Kapurthala Elephant (set BG320)


A detail from the right side


The Kapurthala group (sets BG320, BG351, BG352 and BG353)

I LOVE this elephant

Ana

 

[Ana Donzino]

The Twentieth Pair: Benares and Sirmur (Only 5 more pairs to the end of the Procession)


Curve from Khas road to begin the march around the Jumma Masjid. The Benares elephant is such a beauty, with such wonderful howda's roof.


Same spot, a few minutes later


First curve to south side


The maharaja of Benares


The maharaja of Sirmur

Ana

 

[Ana Donzino]

Twenty First pair: Tehri and Bansda









Have a great weekend

Ana