Champaklal Speaks

Latour the Photographer

1944-07-23

In those days the art of photography had not developed in the Ashram. Mother gave Baidhar some of her pre-Pondicherry photographs for reprinting. She insisted that while making new negatives the old copies must not be touched up.

Bansidhar entrusted the work to Latour, son of the photographer who had taken Sri Aurobindo's photographs in the early years. He told him: “Make one negative without touching it up and one after touching up the old one. We shall show prints of both of them one after another to the Mother and order the required number of copies of the one Mother chooses.”

After seeing the touched-up copy intently and also from several angles, Mother liked it very much and said: “Very good, especially the eyes. He has touched it up a lot, but it is done very skilfully. It is the first time that I see such remarkable work in India.” And she took it to Sri Aurobindo who also liked it.

B: “Mother, Latour studied photography in France.”

Mother: “Hmm.... Beautiful work. Really good. You may order more copies of the touched up one.”

B: “Mother, others also would like to have copies.”

With Mother's permission, Bansidhar ordered more copies and sold them to those who wanted them. Needless to say, whatever, money came from the sale was offered to the Mother.

Later Bansidhar wrote a letter to Mother requesting her permission to learn photography. Sri Aurobindo's reply came: “We are not planning to start a photography studio in the Ashram. It is not necessary to learn.” Yet today we not only have studios but the art too has been highly developed. However, since Mother's time I have been getting all my photography work done by Latour.

I relate this episode also to illustrate the fact that it does not make sense to say that Sri Aurobindo said this or that, just in order to fulfil one's desire or belief.