Important Notice

Following their initial visit in 1905 - 6 as Prince and Princess of Wales, King George V and Queen Mary returned to India as Emperor and Empress for a coronation tour in 1911–12. The climax of the visit was the Coronation Durbar in Delhi. These photographs form a panorama of key moments during the ceremony held in Delhi on 12 December 1911. Silver gelatin photographs are framed alongside each other to form a panorama of the key moment taken... Following their initial visit in 1905 - 6 as Prince and Princess of Wales, King George V and Queen Mary returned to India as Emperor and Empress for a coronation tour in 1911–12. The climax of the visit was the Coronation Durbar in Delhi. These photographs form a panorama of key moments during the ceremony held in Delhi on 12 December 1911. Silver gelatin photographs are framed alongside each other to form a panorama of the key moment taken during the Delhi Durbar of 1911.

Interesting, rare collection of original photos of the Delhi Durbar of 1911 taken by Bourne & Shepherd Studios - the official photographers of the ceremony. Especially for this occasion “, they were given the title, 'Kaiser-e-Hind' which they used as part of their official letterhead. This solemn ceremony at Coronation Park in Delhi lasted for 9 days (7-16 December 1911) and was the only one attended by the sovereign. The Durbar of 1911 is also famous for the fact that on December 12, 1911, George V, the then Emperor of India along with Queen Mary, made the announcement that the capital of the Raj was to be shifted from Calcutta to Delhi. On December 15, 1911, they laid the foundation stone for Viceroy's residence, and New Delhi here, which was subsequently shifted to its present location on Raisina Hill near Rashtrapati Bhavan (President's House).

Bourne & Shepherd, one of India's first commercial photography studios, was established in 1863 in Shimla by Samuel Bourne and Charles Shepherd. Initially a partnership between Bourne and William Howard in Allahabad, the studio moved to Shimla, where Shepherd later joined. Known for its architectural, landscape, and portrait photography, the studio documented South Asia's geographical and topographical features, gaining recognition both commercially and scientifically. The studio's significant achievements included Bourne's highest altitude photograph at Manirang Pass and a catalogue of over 1,500 images by 1866. Following Howard's return to England and Bourne's departure in 1870, Colin Murray and later Shepherd took over, expanding with branches in Calcutta and Bombay. Despite thriving for decades and contributing to wartime photography and significant events like the Delhi Durbar, the Kolkata branch was devastated by a fire in 1991. After legal issues with the building's owner, the studio closed in 2016.

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