David Mordecai

David Mordecai (1909-1973) was an Indian photographer in Calcutta whose subjects included the Nehrus, Tenzing Norgay, Sir Edmund Hillary, and King Mahendra and Queen Ratna of Nepal.

David Mordecai

Early life and family

Mordecai was born in Calcutta, India, in 1909, the son of Isaac and Esther Mordecai. His family were part of the Bagdadi jewish community of Calcutta.[1]

Mordecai married Trixie and they had three daughters, Esthére, Anita, and Cheryl.[1]

Career

Originally destined for the family business of Daw Sen & Company, makers of condiments, Mordecai eventually broke out to start his own photography business after showing aptitude for the subject as a child when his mother gave him a Kodak box camera as a gift.[1]

Mordecai developed a large business in producing society portraits, souvenirs for tourists, documentary and topographical works, and official photographs for businesses, including for Indian railways. His portraits included the Nehrus, Tenzing Norgay, Sir Edmund Hillary, and King Mahendra and Queen Ratna of Nepal.[1] His studio at one time had over 100 employees. His output covered the transitional period of the last days of the British Raj and the first days of independent India.[2]

Death

Mordecai died in 1973 after suffering ill health in his later years.[1]

Selected publications
  • India Through the Camera's Eye
  • His Majesty King Mahendra Bir Bikram Shaha Deva. An analytical biography. Bombay, Nityand Society, c. 1963. (Editor)
  • The Himalayas: An illustrated summary of the world's highest mountain ranges. Calcutta, Daw Sen, 1966.
gollark: ARing?
gollark: Er, few hours, maybe?
gollark: "Frostinate"? "Freeze (Egg)"?
gollark: Should I add something to my trade in order to try and get a xenowyrm then? If so, what?
gollark: I will never understand how putting up a CB truffle asking for a CB xenowyrms got me offers but the same thing with a much rarer golden wyvern isn't.

See also

References
  1. David Mordecai. Recalling Jewish Calcutta: Memories of the Jewish community in Calcutta. Retrieved 6 September 2015.
  2. Book Review: Indian heritage and its Jewish influences. Jael Silliman, Business Standard, 20 December 2014. Retrieved 6 September 2015.

Further reading
  • Robbins, Kenneth X. & Marvin Tokayer (eds.) Jews and the Indian National Art Project. Niyogi Books, 2015. ISBN 978-9383098545
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