Vageeswari: The Homegrown Camera that Framed India’s Photographic History

Selfies, Reels or simply the song 'Kheech Meri Photo' - what's it all got in common, you ask. It's cameras! When we think of India’s contributions to photography, we often picture bold contemporary artists or striking exhibitions at the Kochi-Muziris Biennale. But long before DSLRs and smartphones, one humble workshop in Kerala quietly put India on the global photography map. That legacy? The Vageeswari camera—India’s first large-format, field camera was crafted not in a bustling city, but in the backstreets of coastal Alappuzha.

And as we celebrate National Camera Day, there’s no better time to revisit the lens through which India once viewed the world.

From Repair Job to Reinvention

It was 1942 when a local studio owner brought a broken foreign-made camera to P. K. Narayana Pillai, a seasoned craftsman, asking him to fix its bellows. He declined—but his 16-year-old son, K. Karunakaran, was intrigued. With only a high school education and an eye for detail, Karunakaran took it apart, studied it meticulously, and then did something extraordinary: he rebuilt it.

By 1945, the first Vageeswari camera was born, named after Goddess Saraswati (also called Vageeswari), the deity of wisdom and learning. It wasn’t just a homemade prototype—it was an innovation.

Made in India, Loved Worldwide

Constructed from polished teakwood, fitted with gleaming brass, and styled with hand-stitched leather bellows, the Vageeswari camera was beautiful, functional, and far more affordable than its imported counterparts. Sold for around Rs. 250, it was a hit.

Soon, Karunakaran’s small workshop was producing up to 100 cameras a month. By the 1950s, Vageeswari cameras had become the standard in Indian photo studios—and surprisingly, they were exported too. From Ceylon and Singapore to Germany and the UK, photographers praised its build and clarity, often unaware that this marvel was born in a sleepy South Indian town.

Engineering Meets Aesthetics

What made the Vageeswari so revered wasn’t just its price point—it was the care poured into its construction. Every part except for the German lenses was made in India. The bellows alone took nearly 18 hours to complete. Its foldable design made it highly portable, especially for a large-format device.

There were eight variants, catering to everything from passport photo studios to architectural photography. Police departments and government agencies used them. Even forensic photographers swore by their precision.

A Decline in Focus

Like many heritage products, the rise of modern technology slowly eclipsed Vageeswari’s charm. The 1980s ushered in 35mm film cameras and, eventually, digital ones. Although Karunakaran attempted to adapt—experimenting with ultrasound and technical imaging—the Vageeswari line was discontinued in 1995.

He passed away in 2016, aged 90, but left behind more than just a camera. He left a movement.

Second Life: Restoration and Recognition

In recent years, a quiet revival has begun. Photographers and restorers like Satheesh Nair in Thrissur have begun collecting and reviving original Vageeswari cameras. Sold today for upwards of Rs. 15,000, they’ve become collectors’ items—each one a piece of Indian design history.

In 2021, the Lokame Tharavadu exhibition featured restored Vageeswaris as part of an art project by Anu John David, who painted scenes of Alappuzha directly onto negatives taken with one of the originals. The result? A fusion of vintage optics and contemporary art.

Why the Vageeswari Still Matters

At a time when “Make in India” is a national slogan, Vageeswari reminds us that Indian ingenuity has always existed—it just wasn’t always recognised. Long before the world praised Indian software, we were crafting wooden cameras that stood toe-to-toe with the best in the West. Today, because of its rarity, the Vageeswari is a collector’s item. If restored, it can be a hobbyist’s prized possession. 

As we scroll through reels and upload snapshots, it’s worth remembering that behind every effortless click today lies a story of manual precision, passion, and pride.

Click. Remember. Celebrate.

So this National Camera Day, don’t just dust off your old photo albums—take a moment to remember the little workshop in Alappuzha that built one of India’s greatest homegrown innovations. The Vageeswari wasn’t just a camera. It was—and is—a lens into our past, handcrafted to perfection.