Opening Reception: “Disobedient Subjects: Bombay 1930–31”

Join us for the opening of “Disobedient Subjects: Bombay 1930-31,” a new exhibition presented by Duke Center for Documentary Studies (CDS) and The Alkazi Foundation for the Arts, and curated by Duke History Department faculty Avrati Bhatnagar and Sumathi Ramaswamy.

About the exhibition:

Through rare historical photographs and archival materials, this exhibition takes you on a journey around Bombay - today's Mumbai - to witness the unfolding of the Civil Disobedience Movement against British colonial rule nearly a century ago. Highlighting the role of women, ordinary citizens, and anticolonial activism in shaping a democratic future, the show features carefully preserved photographs from the K.L. Nursey album in the Alkazi Collection of Photography, New Delhi, on display for the first time in the United States.

Speakers at the opening: 

- Avrati Bhatnagar, Instructor of History and International Comparative Studies, Duke University 
- Sumathi Ramaswamy, James B. Duke Distinguished Professor of History, Duke University 
- Special Guest Rahaab Allana, Curator, The Alkazi Foundation for the Arts, New Delhi

All are welcome to explore the exhibition, hear insights from the curators and special guest and enjoy delicious Bombay style street food from Lime & Lemon Indian Grill & Bar in Durham.

The exhibition is accompanied by the publication of a scholarly volume, Photographing Civil Disobedience: Bombay 1930-1931, edited by Bhatnagar and Ramswamy and published by the Alkazi Collection of Photography in association with Mapin Publishing (2025). Available for pre-order. 

Event co-sponsors:

Center for Documentary Studies (CDS), African and African American Studies (AAAS), Art, Art History & Visual Studies, Arts & Sciences (A&S), Asian Pacific Studies Institute (APSI), Franklin Humanities Institute (FHI), History, Provost's Office, Trinity College, and Vice Provost for Interdisciplinary Studies