Geënsceneerde voorstelling van Britse soldaten van de 10th Royal Hussars verzameld in Kaapstad voordat ze naar het front gaan 1900

This is a photograph, made by Underwood & Underwood, that shows British soldiers of the 10th Royal Hussars gathered in Cape Town, presumably before heading to the front. The image is staged, that is to say, it is not documentary photography, but a carefully constructed tableau, designed to evoke specific feelings and ideas. The composition is designed to inspire a sense of British military might during the height of the British Empire, during the Second Boer War. Soldiers stand erect and are framed by imposing architecture and vast expanses of land. The war itself was bitterly contested, and there was significant opposition to it both within Britain and internationally. Images like this one played a vital role in bolstering support for the conflict and sustaining a sense of national pride. Understanding this image means asking questions about the circumstances in which it was made and distributed. Studying sources such as newspaper archives, political pamphlets, and military records will help to reconstruct the complex social and institutional forces that gave it meaning.