Use Restrictions

The current copyright owner of this photograph is Topfoto. Please direct all permissions requests to them.

Access Restrictions

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Preferred Citation

Ram Gopal "Golden Eagle" photograph and autographed card, C0483, Special Collections Research Center, George Mason University Libraries.

Acquisition Information

Purchased by Steve Gerber from Schubertiade Music in October 2009.

Processing Information

Processing completed by Amanda Brent in May 2021. EAD markup completed by Amanda Brent in May 2021. This item was formerly part of the Performing Arts Manuscript Materials collection, C0215.

Biographical Information

Ram Gopal was an internationally celebrated Burmese-Indian dancer. Known as a master of Indian classical dance, Gopal blended his classical dance background with other modern dance styles. Born in Bangalore, India in 1912, Gopal learned Kathakali - one of eight styles of Indian classical dance - at an early age. As an adult, Gopal gained international renown through his interpretation of Indian classical dance for Western audiences: "Ram was shrewd enough to realise that western audiences would be daunted by an unadulterated classical repertoire. So he created short, spectacular items drawn from Kathakali...but without the traditional make-up and clothes. Costumes, staging and lighting were all meticulously considered and beautifully carried through. He interspersed his own pieces with music and other folk and classical styles" (The Guardian). Perhaps Gopal's most well-known dance was that of "Garuda," or the "Golden Eagle," a legendary golden bird in Hindu mythology. Gopal passed away in 2003.

Scope and Content

Black and white photograph of Ram Gopal dancing in "Golden Eagle" or "Garuda" costume by Planet News, Ltd. taken on September 10, 1956. On the back is an inscription that reads: "The Golden Eagle/London: Wearing his exotic Golden Eagle costume, Indian dancer Ram Gopal flies gracefully through the air during rehearsal at the Royal Festival Hall. Ram Gopal and his company of Indian dancers - who have recently been performing at the Edinburgh Festival - open tonight at the Royal Festival Hall for a two-week season. The company, sponsored by the Indian government, is the largest ever to come to this country from India. British film producer Sir Michael Balcon has approached Ram Gopal asking him to consider playing the role in a new film as Buddha. The dancer has not yet indicated whether he will accept."

Included is a card featuring Gopal's signature in English from the collection of Thomas H. Scullion of the Autograph Collectors Society from the same year.

Arrangement

This is a single folder collection.

Related Material

The Victoria and Albert (V&A Museum holds performance costumes worn by Ram Gopal, including his Garuda costume.

The South Asian Diaspora Arta Archive hosts the Ram Gopal Collection, which includes materials on his Garuda dance. It also hosts the Garuda project, which "in collaboration with the V&A Museum aims to raise awareness of Ram Gopal's contribution to Indian dance in the UK. This project included the conservation of Gopal's historic Garuda costume which has now been donated to the V&A's collection" (SAADA).

The Archives at Yale University hold the Carl Van Vechten Papers which contains photographs and other material featuring Ram Gopal.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

• Dance
• Garuḍa (Mythical bird)
• Kathakali
• Ram Gopal, 1917-2003