Mumtaz, Tawaif from Lucknow

Mumtaz, Tawaif from Lucknow, c.1850

Daguerreotype was known to corrode over time. After the invention of glass negatives, many photographers used to photograph older daguerreo & ambrotypes on glass negatives to preserve the image. This is one such portrait of Mumtaz, courtesan from the court of Wajid Ali Shah who was a great patron of singers, musicians and dancers.

Albumen print on carte de visite
4 x 2.5 in. (10.2 x 6.4 cm.)
Photographer: Darogah Abbas Ali or Mushkoor-ood-Dowlah