Gezicht op een kantoor van Oudh and Rohilkhand Railway in Lucknow before 1874

This is a photograph by Darogha Ubbas Alli, showing the offices of the Oudh and Rohilkhand Railway in Lucknow. It’s a fascinating image, because it is so tied to the technology of its time. The photograph is a chemical process made possible by colonial infrastructure; photography depended on the modern railway and the materials that it transported. Light-sensitive emulsions needed to be prepared and developed, a process that was as material as building construction or weaving. Consider the implications of the railway itself. It represents a massive intervention in the Indian landscape, impacting trade routes, social structures, and the very fabric of daily life. This photograph isn't just a snapshot of a building; it's a document of a changing world, of labor, politics, and consumption. Understanding the photograph means looking beyond the image to the processes of making, and how this artwork is tied to the social context.