A selection of Fred Bremner’s works, some of which are on show in Lucknow to Lahore and some which have been made available online. Select the OPEN links to read more about a work, and select the image to enlarge it.
About 1895
By 1889, Fred Bremner had set up his own studio in Karachi and another in Quetta, the growing capital of the province of Baluchistan. From there he travelled across the province, following the newly laid railway tracks, to the very north-western edge of British India, on the border of Afghanistan. In his memoir he wrote of his encounters there: "There is nothing the Baluchi and Afghans value more than to be armed with a gun". Much of Bremner?s portrait photography depicts men grouped together. The men were often used to represent a racial `type?; such images were popular as postcards during the first decades of the twentieth century.
about 1900
In 1900, Fred Bremner produced 'Baluchistan Illustrated', an album documenting his travels within the province. This personal project was a welcome break from the daily life of a commercial photographer. With portraiture at the core of his business, Bremner travelled incessantly photographing not only colonial officers and their families but also members of the native aristocracy. This carefully crafted scene depicting workers quarrying in Baluchistan is typical of Fred Bremner?s compositional style. He has staged the scene so that the viewer has an impression of the various stages in the quarrying process. This image is reminiscent of his other images of tradesmen. Always meticulously composed they show all the different procedures required for a particular trade.
about 1889
This striking, desolate landscape stands out from Fred Bremner?s other work. He has managed to convey the expanse of this desert province, something that artists and photographers of India were continually struggling to achieve. Bremner described Baluchistan as "by no means naturally fertile; nothing but barren mountains and plains to be seen except in a few places, although heavy falls of snow often cover the country during winter; but summer after summer scarcely a drop of rain is to be seen? The soil is most productive, and it is surprising to see the beauty which springs into existence, due in great measure to artificial means of watering the soil".
about 1899
In 1900, Fred Bremner produced 'Baluchistan Illustrated', an album documenting his travels within the province. This personal project was a welcome break from the daily life of a commercial photographer. With portraiture at the core of his business, Bremner travelled incessantly photographing not only colonial officers and their families but also members of the native aristocracy. This is one of Bremner?s most remarkable compositions. The alignment of the near and distant sloping rocks creates one sweeping diagonal that virtually bisects the composition. This gives a dynamic to an otherwise perfectly still and tranquil scene. By scattering figures around the landscape, Bremner conveys the sense of scale, adding to the dramatic impact of the photograph.
about 1900
This photograph is typical of Bremner?s work in its well-balanced composition and keen sense of detail. The old man is framed against a white wall which acts as a blank canvas, heightening the detail of his beard and the cushion he is leaning on. The horizontal pipe then leads the focus towards the young boy perched at the end of the bed. Unlike the old man, who makes eye contact with the camera, the boy appears disinterested, looking out of the frame. Sitting in the background are three men, but Bremner, in making them out-of-focus, ensures that attention is centred on the two figures in the foreground, encouraging the viewer to question the relationship between the old man and the boy.
about 1890
In 1889, upon returning from a trip home and after finishing working for his brother-in-law in Lucknow, Fred Bremner set up his own studio in Karachi. Over the years he based himself in studios from Karachi to Lahore during the winter moving to mountainous towns such as Simla during the stifling summers. Like many commercial photographers in India he relied on portraiture to keep his business operating on a day-to-day basis but he still found time to complete personal projects. Travelling throughout the provinces of Baluchistan and Sindh his images captured the diversity of the landscapes and local customs. Several of his photographs depict apparently everyday scenes, although on closer inspection many are artfully arranged compositions.
![Like many commercial photographers in India Fred Bremner relied on portraiture to keep his business operating on a day-to-day basis but he still found time to complete personal projects. He produced numerous photographic series showing the diversity of the Indian landscape and local customs. Several of his photographs depict apparently everyday scenes, although on closer inspection they are actually artfully arranged compositions. What is striking is that Bremner shows the locals as part of their environment with the thatched farmhouses, cows and plough. This photograph might have been taken to show the improvements that irrigation brought to the province of Sindh. On travelling through the province Bremner remarked that from "nothing more than a lonely desert, since the inauguration of irrigation throughout the land it has become one of the richest [provinces], yielding harvests which compete in production with other provinces. Another example of what the British Raj has done for the good of the country".](http://www.nationalgalleries.org/media/42/collection/PGP 129_5.jpg)
about 1890
Like many commercial photographers in India Fred Bremner relied on portraiture to keep his business operating on a day-to-day basis but he still found time to complete personal projects. He produced numerous photographic series showing the diversity of the Indian landscape and local customs. Several of his photographs depict apparently everyday scenes, although on closer inspection they are actually artfully arranged compositions. What is striking is that Bremner shows the locals as part of their environment with the thatched farmhouses, cows and plough. This photograph might have been taken to show the improvements that irrigation brought to the province of Sindh. On travelling through the province Bremner remarked that from "nothing more than a lonely desert, since the inauguration of irrigation throughout the land it has become one of the richest [provinces], yielding harvests which compete in production with other provinces. Another example of what the British Raj has done for the good of the country".
about 1890
In 1889 Bremner returned to India with the intention of establishing his own photographic business in Karachi. However, the cost of this was expensive and it was the commission of two public projects that kept him afloat. One of these was to photograph the opening of the Lansdowne Bridge over the River Indus, which was arguably one of the greatest engineering feats of the nineteenth century. In contrast to Bremner?s shots of the dominating cantilever bridge, in this photograph, which was perhaps taken on the same day, Bremner has captured the traditional fishing methods used by the locals. The composition is characterised by strong horizontals, with the figures contained below the horizon line.
For general enquiries regarding your visit or Gallery services.
+44 (0)131 624 6200
