This king and queen took India’s first selfie over 100 years ago, they were from…
India’s First Selfie: In today’s era, when social media platforms such as Instagram are dominated by self-portraits, or selfies, people are obsessed with giving a glimpse of their lives through these pictures. In no time, selfies have become so popular that people have started taking these self-portraits with their friends and loved ones. We think that the prevalence of selfies started with the introduction of powerful front cameras in smartphones, but that is not true. Even before smartphones, there have been instances of selfies in the past as well.
Notably, the world’s first-known self-portrait photograph was taken by Robert Cornelius, an American, in October 1839. At that time, Cornelius used a daguerreotype technique, which was an early photographic procedure that used an iodine-sensitised silvered plate and mercury vapour.
The Guinness World Records said, “Cornelius was required to sit for between three and 15 minutes to allow the necessary exposure time as he posed for the self-portrait in the backyard of his family’s lamp and chandelier store in Philadelphia, USA. He wrote on the back of it: ‘The first light Picture ever taken. 1839’.”
But, did you know when was the first selfie was taken in India and who took it. Well, the first self-portrait was taken by a couple belonging to a royal family. In 1880, the fist known selfie in India was taken by the Maharaja of the erstwhile princely state of Tripura. The picture showcased Maharaja Bir Chandra Manikya and his wife Maharani Khuman Chanu Manmohini Devi, sitting beside each other. Maharaja Bir Chandra was a photography enthusiast and was a member of the Royal Photographic Society. He organised several photography exhibitions during his lifetime.
A Tripura Maharaja’s photograph with his wife, the Maharani, is considered India’s first selfie. The Maharani, a skilled photographer who pioneered the art in India, is pictured embracing the Maharaja, who operates a long-wire shutter release.
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