Lucknow, Great Amambara and Mosque 1863 - 1866

Editor: This is Samuel Bourne's "Lucknow, Great Amambara and Mosque." It's an older photograph, and the scale of the architecture is really striking. What do you see when you look at this image? Curator: Bourne's photograph offers a glimpse into British colonialism's visual project. The imposing architecture, captured through a Western lens, speaks to power dynamics. How does this image participate in constructing narratives about the "exotic" East and British dominance? Editor: So, you're saying the photograph isn't just a neutral record, but a statement of power? Curator: Exactly. Consider the gaze behind the camera, framing the scene. It's about asserting control through representation. What do you make of the absence of people in the photograph? Editor: I guess it reinforces that idea of control, of a landscape emptied and ready to be claimed. It really changes how I see it. Curator: It is a potent reminder that art, even documentary photography, is never neutral.