Outer Prakarum on the North Side of the Temple of the God Sundareshwara 1858

Linnaeus Tripe created this albumen silver print of the Outer Prakarum on the North Side of the Temple of the God Sundareshwara. Here we see a temple in India through the lens of 19th-century colonial photography. Tripe, a British officer, was commissioned to document the architecture and landscapes of India for the British government. His photographs were intended to serve as objective records, but they also reflect the power dynamics of the colonial era. The temple, a site of religious and cultural significance, is presented as an object of study and documentation for the colonizing power. The photograph emphasizes the grandeur of the temple architecture and the cultural richness of India. Yet it also subtly reinforces the colonial gaze by presenting this image to a Western audience. Understanding this photograph requires us to consider the social conditions of its production. Research into British colonial policies in India, the history of photography, and the role of institutions such as the British government and the Madras School of Industrial Arts, where Tripe trained, can shed light on its complex meanings.