Sultan Ismail Nasiruddin Shah, collection of 3 Silver Gelatin Prints:

Pencil to the front mount 'CHILDREN, SG, 1950'S, c, SULTAN ISMAIL NASIRUDDIN SHAH'
with stamp to the rear for:
Title: SUNGAI TERENGGANU
Photo by: HM Tuanku Ismail Nasiruddin Shah
Year: Ca 1950's
Edition: 3
printed in 1997
authenticated by the grandson, Raja Mohd Zainol Ihsan Shah
All rights reserved

Pencil to the front mount 'READING, ca.1955, c, SULTAN ISMAIL NASIRUDDIN SHAH (1907-79)'
with stamp to the rear for:
READING, 1955
Photograph by: HRH SULTAN ISMAIL NASIRUDDIN SHAH
Kuala Terengganu
No.1
Raja Mohd Zainol Ihsan Shah
All rights reserved

Pencil to the front mount 'PRINT #2, c, SULTAN ISMAIL NASIRUDDIN SHAH (1907-79)'
with stamp to the rear for:
'Overhanging Tree, Taiping 1954'
Photograph by: HRH SULTAN ISMAIL NASIRUDDIN SHAH
Raja Mohd Zainol Ihsan Shah
All rights reserved

Sultan Ismail Nasiruddin Shah (b.1907-d.1979) was one of the great pioneers of Malaysian photography, akin to Wong Kou Fou, with an unwavering passion for capturing the essence of Sarawak's tribal communities. However, Sultan Ismail distinguished himself by delving into the lives of ordinary rural dwellers, particularly those in Kuala Ibai, Pasar Tepoh, Chendering, Rusila, and Pantai Batu Buruk. His favored subjects were the riverine settlements, and in the 1970s, he streamlined his photographic expeditions by employing a speedboat, pausing only to immortalize captivating moments along the way.

Raja Ihsan attested to Sultan Ismail's unique observational prowess and insatiable curiosity, coupled with a refreshing compositional sense. During this era, Tom Harrison and H. Spender, in their Mass Observation research, highlighted the importance of shedding preconceptions and habitual frames of reference for photographers, a principle exemplified by Sultan Ismail's approach.

Sultan Ismail Nasiruddin Shah, the fourth King of Malaysia (1965-1970) and the 14th Sultan of Terengganu (1946-1979), received his inaugural camera, likely a Kodak Brownie, at the age of 16 in 1923. He earned a place in Photographer Webster's Timeline History 1880-1989, signifying his enduring impact. His dedication to the craft earned him an associate status with Britain's Royal Photographic Society in 1957, and in 1966, he won the prestigious Excellence Federation Internationale d'Art Photographique, headquartered in Switzerland.