Gateway to Government House, Calcutta 1850s

This photograph by Captain R. B. Hill, taken in the 1850s, depicts the grand gateway to Government House in Calcutta (now Kolkata), India. The image showcases the imposing Neoclassical architecture of the building, with its arched entrance flanked by a row of stately columns and adorned with a lion statue atop. The photograph provides a glimpse into the architectural grandeur of British colonial India and is an important historical document of the period. This early calotype print, now in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, is an excellent example of the emerging art of photography in the 19th century.