Benares, the City and Ghats from the Top of the Great Mosque 1865 - 1866

Editor: This photograph, "Benares, the City and Ghats from the Top of the Great Mosque" by Samuel Bourne, presents a sprawling cityscape. The sepia tones give it a timeless feel, almost dreamlike. How do you interpret this work within its historical context? Curator: This image offers a glimpse into the visual rhetoric of the British Raj. Bourne, a colonial photographer, framed Benares from a position of power – atop a mosque. Consider the implications of documenting a sacred space from a dominating, foreign perspective. What stories are being told, and whose voices are being excluded? Editor: So, it's not just a landscape, but a statement about colonial power? Curator: Precisely. Bourne’s lens actively participated in shaping perceptions of India. This photograph normalizes the gaze of the colonizer, reinforcing a narrative of dominance and control. Editor: That gives me a lot to think about regarding the photographer's role. Curator: Indeed, it prompts us to question the seemingly objective nature of photography and its potential to perpetuate power imbalances.