Restoration

A.L. NARAYAN

Over the years there has been one main source for most of the images I use in my collages. His name is A.L. Narayan and up until 2002 he had a shop next to the Devaraja market in Mysore, South India. His was forced to close the old shop when the police raided the area and said it was a fire hazard, so he moved to a small booth on Shivarampet down the street from the Rajkamal talkies.

I have only fond memories of sitting in his stifling hot shop sipping chai, chatting with him and sifting through mountains of posters of Hindu deities, old magazines and photos. I recently came across a box of old photos he gave me that include lots from his personal collection. They are a treasure chest of traditional South Indian life, so I thought i would share. 

It is difficult to the date the photos. As you can see, the ones from 1974 look like they could just as well be from 1934. India has become so modernized in the past few years, but today you can still find remnants of daily life as it has been for hundreds of years. 

narayan and me at his shop on shivarampet

his old shop in 1974

bright eyed girls and shaivite brahmins

various members of his family

hand colored prints

l'il krishna

hen party / stag party

narayan and his wife on their wedding day♡

mysore cool

the happy couples