Portret van zes Newar mannen uit Nepal before 1868

This photograph captures six Newar men from Nepal. It was taken by Benjamin Simpson, a British surgeon and photographer who worked in India during the height of the British Empire. Simpson's photographs provide a window into the colonial gaze, documenting the people and landscapes of British India. What does it mean to have one's image captured, categorized, and disseminated by a colonizer? This image raises critical questions about representation, power, and the enduring legacies of colonialism. It prompts us to consider the complexities of cultural exchange and the politics embedded within the act of documentation. The Newar people, the historical inhabitants of the Kathmandu Valley, possessed a rich cultural heritage. How do you think this image might challenge or perpetuate the stereotypes imposed by colonial narratives? Consider what it means to see these men—individuals with their own stories—framed within the context of imperial expansion.