Turning the obelisk 1880

This photograph titled, "Turning the Obelisk," captures a moment of monumental engineering by an anonymous photographer. Here we witness the re-orientation of an ancient Egyptian obelisk, an act laden with historical and cultural implications. These obelisks, symbols of ancient power and knowledge, were often appropriated by colonial powers, becoming emblems of conquest and cultural dominance. The labor-intensive process of moving and erecting such a massive structure speaks to the intersection of human ingenuity, technological progress, and the exertion of power over both material and cultural heritage. The photograph invites us to reflect on the complex relationship between past and present, as well as the politics embedded in the act of translation and display. What does it mean to take an object from one context and place it in another? What stories are being told, and whose voices are amplified or silenced in this process? This image is a poignant reminder of the ways in which objects can become vessels of identity, memory, and power.