Portion of the Great Temple (The Government Stores), Luxor 1857

This photograph of a portion of the Great Temple in Luxor was taken by Francis Frith. He would have used a glass plate negative, a portable darkroom and plenty of chemicals to capture the light and shadow playing across the ancient sandstone ruins. The image is deeply evocative, not only because of the sheer scale of the columns and the information it conveys, but also what it suggests about the labor involved in creating such an image. Frith faced considerable logistical challenges, requiring a team of assistants, specialist knowledge, and a good deal of patience. We see evidence of human presence in the wheelbarrows scattered across the foreground, tools that speak to the immense effort of archaeological work. Frith was, in effect, one of the first mass media moguls, and his photographs were widely circulated, fueling both scientific inquiry and colonial fantasies. This photograph reminds us that even seemingly objective images are the product of a particular moment, shaped by social and economic forces.