This is a very common image of Swami Vivekananda, but very few know that this is actually the image of a poster. The original of which is 119 years old. It is there in many living and puja rooms in India, with little knowledge that it is a poster in the real sense. Even with the name of the star and a descriptor, "Swami Vivekananda.The Hindoo Monk of India." Today there are posters in our children’s room of rock stars but this poster adorned the rooms in India and USA much before the fad. Many of my friends told me that because of its size, 20x30 inches, the original framed poster which they had inherited have been replaced with a smaller size print from the Book counter at Ramakrishna Ashram. What a pity!!
In case you are in Kolkata, and you would like to see an original, other than my home,in a public place, not so public, visit Ramakrishna Medical on Rashbehari Road. Just as you enter from the right door, look up. You will see in a row. Swami Vevikananda, Shri Shi Ramakrishna and Sarada Ma.Do not forget to note the bottom descriptor.
The poster of Swamiji was printed by the Goes Lithographic Co.,Chicago in 1893 after the Parliament of Religions. It was pasted throughout the city, like we have people sticking cinema poster on the wall and free space, to draw people’s attention to a separate discourse by Swamiji after the famous parliament , where Swamiji addressed the audience as, “Sisters and Brothers of America,it fills my heart with joy unspeakable to rise in response to the warm and cordial welcome which you have given us”. Swamiji had become famous overnight and was a huge attraction.
The poster bears the inscription: “To Hollister Sturges-- All strength and success be yours is the constant prayer of your friend, Vivekananda”. The original photograph from which the poster was printed for Hollister Sturges bore this inscription which continued in the poster. Hollister Sturges was the son of Mrs.Betty (Sturges) Leggett,the family members who were all dear to Swamiji. I think Swamiji stayed with them in Chicago.It is,most probably,Hollister Sturges or one of his friends who had the poster printed from the photograph and then pasted in Chicago street.Swami Vivekananda was not aware of the printing of the poster and came to know about it much latter when many of his immediate disciples wanted to have it autographed. When Swamiji returned to India he did not carry back a single poster. On his return when he narrated the events to his brother monk of the Parliament of Religion and the subsequent discourses he told them about the printing of a poster but could not show a copy,though he did carry the book of the Parliament announcing his name as the speaker from India. It was left to Sister Nivedita to organise and have some posters sailed to the shores of India.
There is another story, in Chicago Mrs. Blodgett acquired a large colored poster of Swamiji, which she tore from the street wall and had it autographed by Vivekananda. In it Swamiji wrote in both Bengali and English character, “One infinite pure and holy-- beyond thought beyond qualities I bow down to thee" -Swami Vivekananda” and hung it at her home in Los Angeles, never dreaming that one day Swamiji will pay her a visit.
The photograph in this poster is also famous. It is a posed photograph, unlike the general belief that Swamiji always stood arms akimbo. This is known as the famous ‘Chicago Pose’. A series of photographs were taken by the photographer Thomas Harrison, who was located in Chicago at that time at Central Music Hall in State & Randolph Street. According to listings of photographers from 1847 to 1900 in the Chicago city directories, Thomas Harrison was in business from about 1873 through 1900. The Chicago Historical Society states: "He had several addresses; "Central Music Hall" is listed as his 1893 address and probably went into business with D. R. Coover for a short time. Most of the Harrison photographs are in the collection of Vedanta Society’s. The society has many cabinet card portraits of Chicagoans taken at the Harrison studios, all with the same identification stamp." The original photos of Swamiji taken at Harrison’s studio were actually cabinet card portraits, which were the predominant type of media that Harrison used. The cabinet card was a new style of portrait photography which came into vogue around 1867. It had several new features including various styles of posing, improved lighting, and the use of background scenery or props to add flair to the photograph. The pose of Swamiji taken at Harrison’s studio show his successful use of these different techniques.
The poster was printed by his immediate disciples to draw crowd for his many discourses. The posters were printed by lithographic method. Lithography is a method for printing using a stone ,lithographic limestone or a metal plate with a completely smooth surface. Invented in 1796 by German author and actor Alois Senefelder as a cheap method of publishing theatrical works, lithography can be used to print text or artwork onto paper or other suitable material. Lithography originally used an image drawn or etched into a coating of wax or an oily substance applied to a plate of lithographic stone as the medium to transfer ink to a blank paper sheet, and so produce a printed page.Lithography printing is still existing in Kolkata but very limited.
Goes Lithography began in 1879 and immediately began to produce multi colorful editions of posters and images for various channels of trade by the lithographic process. The most popular being one color checks and office forms. Unusual yet effective colorizing techniques were used in the early days by Currier and Ives of New York. A litho would be printed in 1 or 2 colors of black and gray and then colorized by an artist following a supplied sample.Goes used the color fill method extensively for commercial, hand bill and event program works. But the finer tones were done in repeated color formats on separate plates using stipple techniques of dot placement for tonal ranges, this is seen in our religious line today. The finest example being Art posters for numerous events and shows including The Worlds Fair, Buffalo Bills Wild West Show, Magician acts and Cover Girl Calendars.
Image : from the collection of Late Nirmal Chandra Kumar , antiquarian and collector.