time. His work is a faithful chronicle of the Hyderabad State under Mir Osman Ali Khan - the VII Nizam of Hyderabad. The era of Mir Osman Ali Khan and the transfer of power to the Indian Union, the Razakar movement and the advent of the Nehru clan have all been recorded by Ami Chand.

To him goes the credit for preserving the remarkable photographs that survive. Ami Chand devoted 65 years to the art of photography. In his lifetime Ami Chand worked as hard as his grandfather documenting the events of Hyderabad in the years from 1935 to 1984; travelling throughout the state on hunting expeditions and visits of the Nizam to the districts. In addition to the huge field cameras and studio camera, Ami Chand used the Graphlex and Zeiss Ikon cameras. His expertise lay in close supervision of the staff after having perfected the techniques through years of practice in the darkroom himself.

Ami Chand witnessed the outstanding success of Deen Dayal exhibitions in Bombay, Pune and London between 1979 and 1982. The prints displayed at these exhibitions were made from the original glass plate negatives under the technical supervision of Ami Chand. There was a large daylight enlarger which could hold the 10x12 glass plates for exposure in daylight. Being a qualified artist Ami Chand often undertook hand colouring of photos with stunning results. Retouching and finishing were other special aspects which Ami Chand scrutinised to produce high quality work.

Ami Chand was an extremely amenable person, known to a large circle of Hyderabadi gentry as the nobleman behind the camera who could be relied upon for outstanding photos on all occasions. The Deen Dayal studio near the parade ground was huge and beautifully decorated with portraits, paintings and views of all types, artistically displayed in ornate wooden showcases with glass façade. As one walked into that gallery of attractions, he would fondly guide the visitor through the exhibits, with an understandable sense of pride in his work.

Ami Chand was selfless in his promotion of photography. He provided Siasat, a leading Urdu daily with outstanding historical pictures of Hyderabad. These were published every Sunday and later put up in special exhibitions held by Siasat in the city and abroad. Ami Chand was also responsible for handing over the finest selection of photos to Clark Worswick for his book “ Princely India” which was the first outstanding coffee table publication on the work of Deen Dayal. His contribution has been acknowledged in the book.

His family life was simple, disciplined and yet full of the joys of a happy household. His ambitions were limited to promotion of his work. He won awards for excellence in photography for his pictures of “Reflections” and portrait of Rabindranath Tagore.

Ami Chand passed away in 1984 . The last two years of his life were marked by indifferent health and recluse.