Incredible Photos Show A Harem Of Wives Clicked By Jaipur’s Maharaja, ‘Photographer Prince’

A stunning set of pictures has surfaced showing a harem of wives clicked by the 19th century Indian king, Maharaja Ram Singh II. Also famously known as the ‘Photographer Prince’, the Maharaja often clicked portraits of his wives when they weren’t entertaining him in bed.

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The Maharaja ruled the Pink City Jaipur between 1835 and 1880. He was a keen photographer who loved taking photos of his wives and also his inner circle that comprised of fakirs and other dignitaries. 

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The pictures that were taken between 1857 and 1865 show the wives looking fiercely into the camera. The glass negatives of the photographs were kept untouched for over a century.

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The Maharaja, under the tutelage of British photographer T. Murray, shot to fame as India’s first ‘Photographer Prince’ and got extremely interested in capturing ornate shots of things and people around him. 

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These photos were found in Madho Nivas Wing of the City Palace in Jaipur. Even as a child, he embraced modernity that helped him change the face of the city during his reign.

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With his camera in hand, he never missed an opportunity to capture the culture and costumes of his people.

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