Rajadhi Raja Rajendra Chozha, The first image of Prince Rama, was made at Ayodhya, soon after He was born. It was a painting by Dasaratha's royal painter. We are all looking for this painting, right now. As Raja Ram grew up, the photos were also different because there were changes in his looks, height, weight and so on.. But the "Wedding photo" of Raja Ram and Kumari Sita, I am hoping to get from a photographer in Mylapore. You see it had earlier been sent to USA for carbon-dating. So, it may take some time to reach me. The trouble is, the official photographer sent with Raja Ram and Prince Lakshman, when they went escorting Sage Viswamitra, was, unfortunately eaten by the demoness Thatakai - along with his camera. It was then that Raja Ram decided to kill her.
Sorry, yours is a serious question: The first Vigraha of Bhagwan Rama, we have access to, was probably made in the early Gupta period around 200 A.D. But there would have been Vigrahas of Rama,Sita, Lakshmana and Hanuman, from even earlier times but mostly lost to us. The modern version you see was drawn by Raja Ravi Varma. In temple sculptures going back about 1200 years, there are changes in the way Rama is depicted. In some he is seen carrying a sword in addition to the long bow. In a statue of Rama, unearthed in the NWFP, now in Pakistan, he is shown wearing a battle armour. In Indonesia and Siam Rama, is not always shown with his long bow. Please consult, Anand Coomaraswamy, History of Indian Art.
