Geënsceneerde voorstelling van de Inniskilling Dragoons, een cavalerieregiment in het Britse leger, op weg naar Modderrivier in Zuid-Afrika 1900

This staged photograph, by Underwood & Underwood, presents the Inniskilling Dragoons, a British cavalry regiment, en route to Modder River in South Africa. It’s crucial to remember that this image was taken during the Second Boer War, a conflict marked by British imperial ambition and the brutal subjugation of the Boer people. The photograph serves as propaganda, glorifying military might and masking the war’s human cost, and the suffering inflicted upon the South African population. What does it mean to witness a scene staged for consumption, knowing the complex political landscape it represents? Underwood & Underwood were known for their mass-produced stereoscopic images, intended for middle-class consumption. Consider how this image, designed for entertainment, normalizes and even romanticizes colonial violence, reinforcing notions of British superiority and the dehumanization of the ‘other’. Ultimately, this photograph invites us to reflect on the power of images in shaping public opinion and justifying historical injustices, while reminding us of the personal stories obscured by grand narratives of war and empire.