[Spence's Hotel & St. John's Cathedral, Calcutta] 1858 - 1861

Editor: Here we have "[Spence's Hotel & St. John's Cathedral, Calcutta]", a photograph taken between 1858 and 1861 by John Constantine Stanley. The sepia tones give it such an old-world feel. I am really drawn to its sense of grand scale. What strikes you most when you look at this image? Curator: The quietness, perhaps? There's a stillness that belies the bustling city it captures. Imagine the clatter of hooves, the cries of street vendors… none of that reaches us. It's a bit like looking through a snow globe – the world exists, frozen, just beyond the glass. But doesn’t the architecture speak volumes? Those imposing colonial structures…they almost shout of power and control, don’t you think? What kind of power do you imagine Stanley wanted to convey? Editor: Yes, now that you point it out, I see a certain tension. The peaceful surface hides a more complicated story, I guess. It also reminds me of classic 19th century novels about the British Empire, full of contrasts. I was initially taken by the architecture and its grandiosity but I agree with your assessment, it makes the photograph all the more complex. Thanks for showing that. Curator: Photography at the time was such a novelty too, and to see it used here to document this…this exercise in nation-building, it’s fascinating. Were you as a student tempted to embark on a similar documentation project? Editor: That's interesting, it definitely inspires me to think about what stories I might want to tell, especially how photography could play a part! Curator: Perhaps you could, you have now been introduced to its complexity! Good luck in whatever comes of this project, may this new information open your imagination to more interesting subject material for your work!