Burma, known today as Myanmar holds its rich history and culture. During the colonial era, it was considered an ‘exotic land’ that extended eastwards from India, then under the rule of the British Raj. A one-hundred-year period from 1862-1962 encapsulates the dynamic history the country had progressed through from being a partially dynastic independent kingdom to a full colony under the British, then its brief independence post Second World War.  The book ‘Unseen Burma Early Photography 1862-1962’ provides a kaleidoscopic visual feast of this country through a well-curated collection of rarely seen old photographs accompanied by detailed captions.

The introduction of photographic technology in Burma since the second half of the 19th century and its widespread popularity from the early 20th century onwards allowed the visual records of this land to be captured. Ranging from portraitures of elites, significant events, and modernization to scenes from vernacular lives, personal mementos, etc., these vignettes from bygone days have lived to tell their stories.

At this book talk organized for The Siam Society, the author will zoom in, through a hand-picked group of photographs from the book and discuss different social, political, and cultural facets that left various trajectories in Burma’s modern history and people; some of which served as antecedents of how modern days Myanmar come to be.