Jerusalem-View of the Mount of Olives, showing the Garden of Gethsemane before 1866

Francis Bedford captured this view of the Mount of Olives and the Garden of Gethsemane in a photograph, as part of his work in the mid-19th century. Bedford, positioned within the complex intersection of British colonialism and religious fervor, offers us more than just a landscape. His image participates in a visual construction of the Holy Land that catered to European sensibilities, blending documentary with romantic ideals. In doing so, it mirrors the intertwined political and spiritual dimensions of the era. Consider what it meant to frame a site revered across religions through the lens of Victorian England. Whose stories are amplified, and whose are subtly erased? How does the act of photographing, of capturing this land, echo broader colonial narratives of possession and control? Bedford's photograph invites us to reflect on the power of representation, the enduring legacy of colonialism, and the stories we tell ourselves about faith, identity, and place.