[Ghulam Muhammad Mosque, Calcutta] 1850s

This albumen silver print shows the Ghulam Muhammad Mosque in Calcutta. It was taken by Captain R. B. Hill at an unknown date. Religious architecture, especially in colonial contexts, often served as a potent symbol of cultural identity and resistance. Hill, a British Captain, approaches his subject with the clean, documentary eye typical of colonial photography. The image raises questions about the representation of indigenous cultures by outsiders. In British India, photography played a crucial role in shaping perceptions of both the colonizers and the colonized. Architectural surveys were part of how the British cataloged and codified the Indian landscape to cement their dominance. Further research into the mosque's history and the photographer's background could reveal much about the complex dynamics of colonial India.