Samuel Bourne

Samuel Bourne was a British man who loved taking photos. He lived a long time ago, from 1834 to 1912. But the most exciting part of his life was when he went to India!

For seven whole years, from 1863 to 1870, he explored and captured the beauty of India with his camera. He even started a photo company with his friend Charles Shepherd, called Bourne & Shepherd. This company was so famous, it stayed open for a very, very long time!

Samuel Bourne didn't just take pictures in a studio. He went on big adventures in India! He and his friend Charles Shepherd opened their first photo shop in a place called Shimla in 1863.

Later, they opened another one in a big city called Kolkata. Think of it like opening a lemonade stand, but instead of lemonade, they sold incredible photographs of India. These photos showed mountains, cities, and people, letting everyone back home see what India was like.

Samuel Bourne's photos are special because they were some of the first really good pictures taken in India by a foreigner. He showed the world amazing landscapes and busy streets. His company, Bourne & Shepherd, was one of the oldest photography businesses in the world.

It lasted for over 150 years! That's longer than your grandparents' grandparents have been alive. His work helps us understand what India looked like a long, long time ago.

Taking photos back then was very different! Samuel Bourne used big, heavy cameras. He had to carry all his equipment, which was like carrying a whole backpack full of books, everywhere he went.

He couldn't just point and click like we do with phones today. He had to carefully set up his camera and wait for the perfect moment. His dedication to capturing these images made his photographs even more special.