Deccan Brahmins, women of the Vinchoorka family, Bombay.--Photographer: Unknown Medium: Photographic print Date: 1867

ull-length portrait of two women and a child of the Vinchoorka family, Deccani Brahmins, taken by an unknown photographer at Mumbai, c. 1867. This photograph is from the Archaeological Survey of India Collections; one of a series of ethnographical photographs commissioned by the Government of India in the late 19th century to gather information about the people and monuments of India. Material was submitted by both professional and amateur photographers. Ethnographical prints were also produced by large photographic firms and temporary studios in India to meet European demands for souvenirs from the East and in response the rising interest in ethnography. Brahmins are the highest caste of society to which Hindu or Jain priests belong.