Vernon & Co, Photographers (Bombay)

Vernon & Co Photographic Studios operated from various addresses in Esplanade Row Bombay from early 1900s until at least the 1920s.

The studio produced many photographs and photographic albums which record portraits and events relating to the local Indian Royal families. For an example see Album depicting Coronation of Maharana Shri Vijayasinhji 1915 - Googlebooks

In 1911 Vernon & Co were one of the photographers commissioned to take photographs of the Delhi Durbar. In addition albums were also produced by the studio entitled "Souvenir , the Imperial Visit to Delhi" - in which composition of images vary slightly to accommodate the interests of the collection owner.

By 1914 the studios had also embraced the world of film - a similar progression to the celebrated Clifton & Co studios - which also operated at that time in the Bombay area. Documentaries were made (see image which also describes the studios as "Official Photographers to Government of India"). During First World War some work was also undertaken with the Red Cross

Advert Bombay Chronicle 26 March 1914

Personnel

• Arthur Cecil Cole (1874-1948) was director/manager of Vernon & Co from at least 1909 until at least 1920s.
  • Arthur was the son of London Photographer Frederick Cole. 1891 census shows that Arthur also started his career working as a photographer in London.
  • In 1902 he had been an assistant at the Bourne & Shepherd Studios, Bombay

• Pranshakar and Manishankar Joshi - two brothers who had been apprenticed in Vernon Studios, Bombay, for about five years before moving to Jyoti studio and finally opening the Joshi studios in Rajkot (1911) - where, like Vernon & Co, they became photographers for many princely states.