Street in Sultánpur before 1895

Frederick Saint John Gore made this photograph, “Street in Sultánpur,” using the collodion process, a popular way to create images at the time. Look closely and you'll see how the material quality of photography inflects the content of the photograph itself. The collodion process renders details sharply, and the long exposure times required for early photography captured candid scenes, such as the Sultanpur street view, and its residents, with great clarity. The texture of the stone-paved street, the clay pots, and the worn clothing of the figures is striking. These details offer insight into the culture and daily life of Sultánpur, and into the social and economic conditions of British India in the late 19th century. Considering the materiality and making of “Street in Sultánpur” alongside its subject matter encourages us to move beyond traditional distinctions between art and craft, reminding us of the deep connection between representation and the real world.