Homai Vyarawalla (1913-2012) is known as India’s first woman photojournalist. Her images captured a politically charged era in India’s history on its journey toward independence.
Homai Vyarawalla (1913-2012) is known as India’s first woman photojournalist. Her images captured a politically charged era in India’s history on its journey toward independence.
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Hello! From Wonder Media Network, I’m Jenny Kaplan. This is Womanica.
This month, we’re talking about visionaries.
Today’s visionary is known as India’s first woman photojournalist. Her images captured a politically charged era in India’s history on its journey toward independence. Please welcome Homai Vyarawalla.
Homai Vyarawalla was born on December 9, 1913, in Gujarat, India to a conservative, Parsi family. She spent her childhood moving from place to place with her father’s traveling theater company. Eventually, the family settled in Mumbai, formerly Bombay.
After high school, Homai attended the Sir J. J. School of Art. She met Manekshaw Vyarawalla, a teacher and freelance photographer who became her mentor and later, her husband. They pursued photography alongside each other. The couple was mostly self-taught through photography journals and old Kodak pamphlets.
Homai was drawn to candid photography. Wrapped in her sari and adorned with heavy equipment bags, Homai traveled throughout the streets of Mumbai to actively engage with the environment and people she was photographing.
It was difficult for Homai to break into a male-dominated field. She was well aware of her position as a woman in Indian society but was bold enough to pursue her passions. However, there were limits. The majority of her photographs were either published under her husband’s initials or her pseudonym Dalda 13, which was inspired by the license plate of her first car. Homai knew how fortunate she was to be out doing her job while most women were resigned to a life inside the home. While she traveled from assignment to assignment on her bike, most women weren’t even allowed to carry handbags or have pockets.
Despite the challenges she faced, eventually, her photos of everyday Mumbai life were published in The Illustrated Weekly of India and The Bombay Chronicle. She had an eye for capturing candid moments. In fact, Homai didn’t believe in staged photographs. She once said, “I have never asked anyone to pose for me. I don’t like it, because the moment the subjects know that they are being photographed, a change comes over their countenance.”
This disdain for studio photography worked in her favor as candid, realistic photography started to grow in popularity. At the time, photography was starting to be seen as a means of information -- photojournalism was on the rise. She captured everything from horse-driven tram cars, to the processes of cotton-ginning and brick making, to city festivals. Her photographs successfully documented a small slice of space and time in Mumbai.
In 1942, Homai and Manekshaw moved to Delhi to work as photographers for the British Information Service. Their pictures were featured in The Illustrated Weekly of India in an effort to show Britain’s attempts at progress in India, and also encourage Indians to help in World War II.
In turn, Homai was a contributor to Britain’s efforts to create and disseminate information and political propaganda. This was somewhat controversial for Homai. The Parsi community that she came from was ambivalent towards politics and as a young girl, Homai was taught that Parsi girls were not allowed to participate in politics.
As her photographs gained traction, Homai gained popularity and proximity to great leaders and political figures. She was particularly close with Jawaharlal Nehru, the first prime minister of India. He was her favorite subject. Homai’s pictures of him addressing a cheerful crowd in Delhi portray a triumphant, romantic era of India’s history.
Her most celebrated photos are those of state leaders and dignitaries. Homai photographed Mahatma Gandhi’s funeral procession, the Dalai Lama entering India for the first time, and many state visits by Queen Elizabeth II and Presidents Dwight D. Eisenhower and John F. Kennedy. Her photos of world leaders captured a pivotal time in Indian history, while also skillfully catching the lighter, more intimate moments of her subjects.
Homai’s four-decade-long career came to an abrupt end after her husband died in 1969. She retired from the profession altogether in 1970. Homai attributes her retirement to a change in the field. She said the new photographers “were only interested in making a few quick bucks” and she did not want to be a part of the crowd.
In 2011, Homa received India's second-highest civilian honor, the Padma Vibhushan.
Homai Vyarawalla died on January 15, 2012, at the age of 98.
All month, we’re honoring incredible, artistic visionaries.
Special thanks to Liz Kaplan, my favorite sister and co-creator. And another special thanks to Alesandra Tejeda who curated this month’s theme.
Talk to you tomorrow!