LETTERS OF APPOINTMENT
STATE PHOTOGRAPHERS TO
H. E. H. THE NIZAM OF HYDERABAD

BY APPOINTMENTS TO

H. R. H. THE DUKE OF CONNAUGHT
H.E. EARL OF DUFFERIN AND AVA
H.E. EARL OF ELGIN AND KINCARDINE
H.E. LORD CURZON OF KEDDLESTON
H.E. LORD MINTO
H.E. LORD HARDINGE OF PENSHURST
ETC. ETC.

Letter of appointment from Queen Victoria

This is to certify that I have Appointed Messers Lala Deen Dayal & Sons into the Place and Quality of Photographers to Her Majesty at Hyderabad (Deccan) to hold and place so long as shall deem fit to the Lord Chamberlain for the time being.
This Warrant is strictly personal and will become void on the Death, Retirement or Bankruptcy of the persons named therein.
Given under my Hand this nineteenth day of September 1897 in the sixty first year of Her Majesty's Reign.

(sd)
Lord Chamberlain

The Right Honorable the Earl of Elgin and Kincardine, Viceroy
and Governor General of India, is pleased to appoint

Lala Deen Dayal & Sons
Photographers to His Excellency

By His Excellency's Command

Sd/-
A DURAND, Lt.Col
Military Secretary to the Viceroy

Military Secretary's Office,
Calcutta, 27th January 1896

September 28th, 1887
Poona

To,
Lala Deen Dayal,

Dear Sir,

I am desired by His Royal Highness the Duke of Connaught to inform you That you are hereby appointed Photographer to His Royal Highness.

Yours faithfully
Sd/-
A.W. BEECHER, Lieut-Col.,
Enuerry to H.R.H. The Duke of Connaught

GOVERNMENT HOUSE, CALCUTTA
21st December 1885.

The Countess of Dufferin has seen a very large number of Mr. Deen Dayal's pictures, and she considers him to be a first rate photographer.

She has pleasure in saying how much she has admired his most interesting Albums, full of Views taken in Rajputana and Central India.

Mr. Deen Dayal also did some private work for Lady Dufferin, which he executed to her complete satisfaction.

The Right Honourable the Earl of Dufferin, Viceroy and Governor-General of India, is pleased to appoint

LALA DEEN DAYAL
Photographer to his Excellency
By His Excellency's Command Simla,
26th August 1885

Sd/-
W. BERESFORD,
Major Military Secretary to the Viceroy

TESTIMONIALS
 

Bombay
6th April, 1891

Sir,
          I received all the photographs and albums. The work is perfect - better it is impossible. Please send me a dozen more of my large portraits; send them to King, King & Co. , he will send them to Russia. The Certificate you will receive from Russia.

Sd/- GRAND DUKE ALEXANDER OF RUSSIA

Poona,
August 16th, 1889

Lala Deen Dayal Photographer
Dear Sir,
          I am desired by His Royal Highness and the Duke of Connaught to write and inform you that he has been most highly pleased with all the photographs that he has seen done by you. You have been in attendance on various occasions when Their Royal Highness have been visiting at the Courts of Indian Princes and also at Camps of Exercise, and on every occasion your groups and views and individual photographs have given the greatest satisfaction. His Royal Highness is of the opinion that you are decidedly the best native photographer he has seen in India.

Sd/-
Secy. To Duke of Connaugh
t

CALCUTTA
January 12th, 1894

GOVERNMENT HOUSE,
          I write to inform you that His Excellency the Marquis of Lansdowne has been very much pleased with the Photographic work which you have done for His Excellency during His Excellency's Viceroyalty of India.

Sd/-
WILLIAM BERESFORD,
Col Military Secretary to the Viceroy.

Bombay,
14th June, 1893

Lala Deen Dayal Esq.,
Photographer, Secunderabad

Sir,
          I am desired by the Chief Chamberlain of His I. And R. Majesty's household to forward to you a pin with the Imperial Initials in diamonds, and beg to enclose a translation of a letter which accompanied the same, with a request to be kind enough to acknowledge their receipt in due time.

I have, & C.'
Sd/-
C.B. PRUMLER

Acting Consul-General . Translation of a letter from Court Tranthmaunsdorf, Chief Chamberlain to H.I.& R. Highness the Emperor of Austria, Hungary, dated Vienna, 30th April 1893, No. 428, to Mr. Ch.B. Prumler, Acting Consul-General for Austria, Hungary, Bombay.
In answer to your favour No. 501, dated 3rd March 1893, I beg to request you to communicate the following officially to Lala Deen Dayal Esq.
That the Album has been at his request presented to His I.& R. Majesty.
That the same found favour and has been graciously accepted.

SNOWDON
Simla 7th September, 1887

My dear Sir,
          I am desired by the Commander-in-Chief to express to you His Excellency's best thanks for the very handsome album of Views of India which you have been so good as to send him, and which His Excellency has much pleasure in accepting.

Believe me, & C.
NEVILLE CHAMBERLAIN.
Major Interpreter to Commander-in-Chief

Meerut
March 10, 1888

          Lala Deen Dayal, Photgrapher of Indore, has done a good deal of work for the Commander-in-Chief. He informs His Excellency that he proposes to travel about India to complete his series of Indian Views, and I am desired by Sir Frederick Roberts to give him this letter as a means of introduction to any gentlemen who may wish to give him work to do.
He is an excellent photographer and very enterprising, his charges are moderate, and his courteous manners make it a pleasure to have any business to transact with him. His Excellency hopes that this letter may be of use to him in his travels.

Sd/-
NEVILLE CHAMBERLAIN
Major Interpreter to Commander-in-Chief

GREAT WESTERN HOTEL, BOMBAY
Date: 4th May, 1886

          As regards your photographs, I have no hesitation in stating that I have not seen better anywhere in India; in fact some of them are first class, and would hold their own in any Exhibition.

Sd-
T. NICHOLLS, Major -General
R.A.

Extract from Review on Monuments of Central India
Pioneer, 23rd Oct. 1886

" It would be difficult to speak in too high terms of the beauty and clearness of the pictures taken by Lala Deen Dayal of Indore. The views of the Great Gates at Sanchi are so vivid that the stories the sculptors meant to tell can be read like a book."

TIMES OF INDIA
Dated 20th March 1886

We had occasion a short time since to draw attention to some cleverly executed Photographs of incidents connected with the recent Camp of Exercise at Delhi, by Lala Deen Dayal of Indore. We have now received from him some highly artistic pictures of places of interest in Central India and Rajputana. They are admirable specimens of photographic arts and would do credit to any European firm.