[Cremation Ground at Manikarnika Ghat, Varanasi, India] 1860s - 1870s

This sepia-toned photograph shows the Manikarnika Ghat in Varanasi, India, and was taken by the commercial photography studio Lawrie & Co. The image is not just a neutral recording, but a manufactured commodity made for Western consumption. The very process of photography— the mixing of chemicals, the mechanics of the camera, and the printing of the final image—required labor, all done within a colonial context. The photograph's focus on death and ritual exoticized Indian culture, fitting it into a narrative of otherness. The sepia tone further romanticizes the scene, distancing the viewer from the stark reality of mortality. The use of photography here isn't about capturing reality but about creating a marketable image that caters to Western expectations and reinforces colonial power dynamics.