Words: Tiranya Yalindee Ranasinghe
Photographs courtesy of Dr Barry Fernando
Armed with a single Mamiyaflex twin-lens camera and a deep rooted love for photography, Dr. Quintus Fernando was set on a mission to capture the beauty of his homeland, Ceylon. His body of work stands as a unique odyssey, with each photograph encapsulating the ordinary life in Ceylon during a period where the country was transitioning from its colonial rule.
Beyond his photographic passion, Dr. Fernando was a highly accomplished academic who made significant contributions to the field of analytical chemistry in the USA. His influence extended not only to his peers but also to a new generation of intellectuals who continue to admire and extol his achievements to this day.
Dr. Fernando was born in the city of Colombo in 1926. His father, Martelius Fernando was a tea and rubber plantation owner, while his mother, Muriel Gunawardena, a trailblazer, was the first female lawyer practicing at the Hulftsdorp Courts while raising five children.
Dr. Fernando’s educational journey led him to complete his secondary schooling at S. Thomas College, where he was also the captain of the school’s cricket team. He went onto major in the field of sciences at the University of Colombo. Subsequently, he furthered his academic pursuits by undertaking a Ph.D. in chemistry at the University of Louisville, Kentucky in 1953. He took up a professorship at the University of Arizona where he amassed an impressive track record of accomplishments. His contributions included an extensive array of research papers, authorship of authoritative texts and collaborations with notable figures such as Professor Henry Freiser.
Beyond his academic success, he not only brought honour to his Sri Lankan heritage but was also a man of multifaceted talents which comprised photography, stamp collecting, playing the violin, being an avid reader and even boxing.
