Michael Roberts
During my years at Peradeniya University campus in the late 1950s, one of my bosom pals was LJM Cooray aka Mark Cooray. Our engagements in the Student Christian Movement deepened our association and was further strengthened by his marriage to another SCM-er viz. Noreen – a gentle and inspiring soul. Let me stress that Mark’s home in Colpetty was one of the several spots where I could stay overnight during my undergraduate days.
Later in 1973 when the Ceylon Studies Seminar circle at Peradeniya University concluded that the Sinhala Tamil ethnic split was very, very serious and that the Colombo circuit required some stirring, we in the CSS in Peradeniya used the Bishop of Colombo’s facilities for a two-day conference on the topic …with strong support from Bishop Kenneth Fernando. We chose Mark Cooray, now a Lecturer at Law College, to serve as chairperson through all its sessions.
As it happened, Mark’s elder sister was married to Nihal Fernando, a brilliant cameraman who ran a photographic outfit entitled the Studio Times from a house in Bambalapitiya. Given that my academic investigations and output called for illustrations, this meant interaction with the firm and use of their services.
One significant mark of this photographic input can be seen in three striking photographs within the first edition of my sister Norah Roberts’s book Galle As Quiet as Asleep (Colombo, Aitken Spence Printing Pvt Ltd, 1993} viz
A = The Belfry of the Dutch Presbyterian Church …. Page 74
B = Fast Disappearing House and Verandah in the Dutch Style … page 75
C = The Old Gate with VOC Coat-of-Arms – page 76
These three shots by Nihal are also presented in the second improved edition of the same book printed by Vijitha Yapa Publications in 2005: ISBN 978-955-8095-85-0
Therefore, it is with considerable satisfaction that I react to the initiative taken by Barefoot and other organisations in our land of Lanka to honour Nihal Fernando posthumously with a special exhibition marking his contributions to the pictorial history of the island – a contribution that cannot be adequately assessed or expressed in mere words.
Let the Nihal Fernando camera-shots speak by imprinting themselves on your mind …. And its Memory.
Nihal’s shot of cricket at the Galle CC grounds in the third quarter of the 20th century ….well before it was turned into a wonderful Test arena.
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Nihal’s shot of cricket at the Galle CC grounds in the third quarter of the 20th century ….well before it was turned into a wonderful Test arena.
ALSO NOTE
https://www.barefootgallery.com/exhibitions/97/overview
