Darjeeling, General View c. 1863 - 1868

Editor: So, this is Samuel Bourne's "Darjeeling, General View." It's a photograph, and the sepia tone gives it a sense of history, but I'm curious about the story behind it. What do you see in this piece? Curator: I see a landscape transformed by labor and industry. Consider the materiality of the photograph itself – the paper, the chemicals, the process. How does the act of creating this image reflect colonial consumption and the exploitation of resources in Darjeeling? Editor: So, you're saying it's not just a pretty picture, but a record of colonial influence. Curator: Precisely. Look at how the landscape is being shaped. Roads are built, settlements are erected – all impacting labor and local resources. What do you make of that? Editor: I hadn't considered the social impact of something like a photograph. It's a good point about how materials and labor can be embedded in a landscape image. Curator: Indeed, and by examining the means of production, we challenge the boundary between art and historical documentation. Editor: That makes me look at photographs in a completely different way.