[Government House,Calcutta] 1850s

Captain R. B. Hill created this photograph of Government House, Calcutta, using a photographic process that was at the time a relatively new technology for documenting the world. The image captures the grandeur of British colonial architecture in India, reflecting the power dynamics of the British Raj. Calcutta, now Kolkata, was then the capital of British India, and Government House was the seat of British authority, a symbol of imperial might and governance. Consider the power dynamics inherent in this image, where the photographer, likely a member of the British administration, documents a building that represents colonial dominance. The photograph is taken from a distance which emphasizes the inaccessibility to the colonized. It invites us to reflect on the complex layers of identity, power, and representation embedded within this historical document.