Kunnukuzhy in Thiruvananthapuram is famed for its settlement of Latin Christians. The ancestors of many of these families were once associated with the Travancore royals and worked as artists, photographers, and artisans. During the late 1870s, Arunachalam Pillai, an artist and amateur photographer from Madras [Chennai] took photographs of Ayilyam Thirunal Rama Varma. Later, Pillai taught the techniques of photography to J.B. D’Cruz, who became the first official photographer of the Travancore royals.
J. Valerian Fernandez (c.1900-c.1964), a.k.a. Artist J.V.F., a member of this family was once famous as an artist, and he was also a talented photographer. Valerian was the son of Joseph, an expert upholstery worker and his wife, Jona Thankam. Being related to the D’Cruz clan, it was quite natural for young Valerian to be inclined towards photography. His talents were recognised by the royal family, who appointed him as an interior decorator.
According to Joseph V. Fernandez, son of Valerian, his ancestors originally hailed from Tuticorin. They belonged to the community known as Muthuparavar . The members of this community were skilled divers, who retrieved oysters and pearl from the depths of the sea. Joseph says, “Our ancestors were not only good at diving, they also exhibited talent in producing artefacts with the pearl retrieved from the sea.” Around 300 years back, due to some political reasons, some members of this community relocated to new environs. They travelled in small boats and landed in Anjengo, Mudakkara, and Kollam. The settlements established by these people can still be seen in the respective regions. The local rulers extended their generous patronage towards them. Most of the early ancestors of this clan were engaged in pearl inlay works, locally known as ‘ pavizham pathiykkal’.
Being Christians, the members of this community had close social contact with the Europeans. Through the European officials who were stationed in erstwhile Travancore, as well as the visiting European dignitaries, these artisans were able to widen their prospects with Western technological advancements. The European connection aided the privileged members of this community to expose themselves to the Western Academic fine art; this was followed by their encounter with photography.
In his capacity as an interior decorator for the royal family, Valerian came into contact with various British officials who came to Travancore. “Often, officials would call my father to appreciate his work. On such occasions, they would present him with various musical instruments,” claims Joseph. Thus, Valerian and his family developed a close association with music and the various musical instruments.
Valerian, in his later years, rendered his services to the Mysore government as an artist. According to Joseph, the family maintained a vast collection of photographs taken by Valerian in his younger days. However, in due time, many of the photographs and the glass negatives were lost. Some of the old glass negatives are still maintained by Joseph’s elder brother, who is settled in the United States.
(This write-up is based on an interview with Joseph V. Fernandez).
[The author is a conservation architect and history buff]
