During my almost two years sojourn In Karachi, the cosmopolitan “melting pot” of Pakistan and its commercial hub, I had the opportunity of observing closely its dynamic people and the original blend of its sights and sounds. This heady brew of rich diversity spurs “love at first sight” in the heart of the beholder and the desire to capture the beautiful but fleeting images of reality. What better way to do it than through the magical eye of the camera and to share them with friends and family or savour their beauty during a sweet session of reminiscence. But alas! having neither the training nor the equipment and particularly time, I could never fulfil my personal wish of possessing a phototheque of Karachi.
But one mild evening, for which Karachi is deservedly envied, per chance, during the course of the annual farewell dinner of Karachi Accueil (French Speaking Women’s Association of Karachi), I stumbled upon such a treasure trove of images. Like everybody, I was pleasantly surprised to know that one of the members of Karachi Accueil, Mme. Beverly Jill Delamotte, an amateur photographer, was responsible for this feat. We were further delighted to learn that Mme. Delamotte was planning to compile and publish a book of her photographs in collaboration with Ferozsons Publishers. It will be a befitting tribute to the people of Karachi from a foreigner in love with this fascinating city. The photographs are refreshingly original and capture the minutest details. Depicting the exotic beauty of Karachi they corroborate the old adage “the camera never lies”.
