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About the Project
The Photographic Collection of R.N. Nagaraja Rao
Planning Grant
Mr. R.N. Nagaraja Rao (1950-1985) was a well-known still-photographer of the film industry in South India. He was particularly engaged in Tamil cinema and photographed hundreds of films during his career. The collection includes thousands of black & white and color negatives in 120mm and 35mm formats. These images depict actors, film locations, studios, lighting and make-up. Due to the breadth of the collection, the images capture the visual history of both cinema and politics in the State of Tamil Nadu during this period. This project will survey and document his collection, preparing the material for future digitization.
Project Leads
- Rameshkumar Kothandapani, French Institute of Pondicherry
- Visalakshi Vassoudevayar, French Institute of Pondicherry
Host Institution
French Institute of Pondicherry
More Information
Explore Project Reports
The collection of photographer R.N. Nagaraja Rao contains more than 3,00,000 photographic negatives and other related materials such as celebrities from various fields, contracts made between photographer R. N. Nagaraja Rao and film production companies, newspaper clippings and magazines on film and photography, chemical formulas for film and print processing.
Through the Planning Grant, the team found images of important political leaders from the 1950s, celebrities from various fields, contracts between photographer R. N. Nagaraja Rao and film production companies, newspaper clippings and magazines on film and photography, chemical formulas for film and print processing.
Explore the Collection Inventory(opens in a new tab)
The inventory accounts for hundreds of individual photographs and documents the new organization of the printed materials.
Read the Condition Report(opens in a new tab)
The condition report adds context to the photographs in the collection, noting the different kinds of negatives identified, including photos taken by studio photographers for promotional purposes. Such stills consisted of posed portraits, sometimes used for public display or as free fan handouts, that were autographed. They can also consist of posed or candid images taken on the set during production and may include stars, crew members, or directors at work.
The report details the conditions in which the team found the collection, noting the conservation challenges.
Read the Preservation Report(opens in a new tab)
This report offers evidence of how the team cleaned and organized the collection. The photographic negatives are now placed in plastic sleeves for long term care and boxes are labeled for easier access and understanding.
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