Amerapoora: Pyathat of Kyoung No. 93 c. 1855

Linnaeus Tripe captured "Amerapoora: Pyathat of Kyoung No. 93" using photography. As an officer in the British East India Company, Tripe documented the architecture and landscapes of the regions under British influence. This image, with its intricate Burmese architecture, embodies the complex intersections of power, representation, and identity inherent in colonial photography. Tripe’s photographs were made at a time when the British Empire was expanding its reach, often serving as tools for cataloging and possessing foreign lands and cultures. Consider the emotional weight carried by such images. They reflect not only the grandeur of the architecture but also the photographer's and the Empire's gaze upon a culture, imbuing the image with layers of meaning about cultural exchange, dominance, and the very act of seeing. These photographs invite us to reflect on the power dynamics involved in their creation and reception. They prompt us to consider how images can both preserve and mediate our understanding of different cultures and histories.