Vintage camera collection of Assam’s ‘Shutter Guru’ Nalini Kanta Baruah donated to Tezpur University

A collection of vintage cameras belonging to veteran Assam photographer Nalini Kanta Baruah, popularly known as the ‘Shutter Guru’, has been donated to the Department of Mass Communication and Journalism (MCJ) at Tezpur University.

The collection was formally handed over by Baruah’s son, Madhurjya Baruah, during the inauguration of ‘Sobi Ghor’, a photography exhibition-cum-competition organised by the department on World Photography Day on Wednesday.

The university said the vintage cameras will be preserved as part of the department’s photographic archive and used for display and educational activities. The collection is expected to provide students with an opportunity to understand the evolution of photography and its role in documenting Assam’s social and cultural history.

Baruah established his studio, Photo Service, in 1957 and documented several significant events during his career, including the Indo-China War. The vintage camera collection displayed at the exhibition traced the technological evolution of photography from mechanical cameras to contemporary digital image-making.

The exhibition was inaugurated by Tezpur University Pro Vice-Chancellor Professor Amarendra Kumar Das in the presence of Dean of Students’ Welfare Manabendra Mandal and Dean of Humanities and Social Sciences Professor Chandan Kumar Sharma.

World Photography Day is observed globally on August 19. The theme for 2026 is “HOME”, encouraging photographers to explore the concept through spaces, memories, people, places and experiences.

Organised around the theme, ‘Sobi Ghor’ featured photographs under three categories — ‘The Essence of Independence’, ‘Discovering Home Away from Home’ and ‘Nature’. Students and research scholars from different departments of the university participated in the exhibition and photography competition.

The event also featured a special photo wall dedicated to singer, composer and cultural icon Zubeen Garg, along with a display on the camera obscura.

Dr Manoj Deori, Associate Professor and Head of the Department of Mass Communication and Journalism, said the donation would help preserve an important part of Assam’s photographic history and make it accessible to students and future generations.

Madhurjya Baruah said the display of his father’s cameras at the university was meaningful and appreciated the department’s efforts to encourage students to develop their photographic skills and creativity.

The Pro Vice-Chancellor encouraged greater student participation in photography-related activities and suggested that the university maintain a collection of photographs submitted by students over the years to document changes in visual expression.

Dean of Humanities and Social Sciences Professor Chandan Kumar Sharma said photography serves both as an artistic medium and a means of recording historical moments, including everyday experiences that can contribute to the understanding of the past.

As part of the programme, an alumni interaction was held with Jayant Bormudoi, Chief Manager–Corporate Communications, Oil India Limited. The session focused on communication, visual storytelling and the changing role of photography in professional practice.

The photography competition was judged by photojournalist Samir Kar, photographer and visual storyteller Sajijur Rehman, and Chandan Goswami, Registrar-in-Charge of Tezpur University.

In the ‘Home Away from Home’ category, Suraj Pratim Senchoua of MCJ won first place, followed by Karanjeet Konwar of MCJ and Ansh Navrang of the Department of Physics.

In ‘Essence of Independence’, Keshab Kashyap of MCJ secured first place, while Parthiv Sutradhar of MCJ and Bandana Neog of MCJ finished second and third, respectively.

In the ‘Nature’ category, Jyotisman Borah and Hitakrit Chakraborty secured the first and second positions.

The exhibition was organised with the participation of students and research scholars of the MCJ department, who were involved in its conceptualisation, curation and execution.

‘Sobi Ghor’ is part of a series of academic, cultural and creative initiatives being organised by the Department of Mass Communication and Journalism as part of its 25th Silver Jubilee celebrations.