Déjatch Alámayou, King Theodore's Son 1868

Editor: This albumen print, taken by Julia Margaret Cameron in 1868, is a portrait of D\u00e9jatch Al\u00e1mayou, the son of King Theodore of Ethiopia. There's such a striking, melancholic quality to his gaze. What do you see in this piece? Curator: For me, this image serves as a powerful commentary on colonialism and its impact on identity. Here is this young boy, an Ethiopian prince, photographed within a Victorian, Orientalist aesthetic. The soft focus and the boy's somewhat passive demeanor raise critical questions about agency, representation, and the gaze of the colonizer. How much control did he have over his own image? What narratives are being imposed upon him? Editor: It's heartbreaking to think about his loss of agency. Is there anything known about what happened to him? Curator: Al\u00e1mayou's story is one of displacement. After his father's death, he was taken to England and essentially orphaned under Queen Victoria's care. Understanding his biography contextualizes the layers of trauma, the loss of culture, and the subtle violence embedded in this seemingly innocent portrait. Considering postcolonial theory, can we see this as a visual manifestation of cultural appropriation and the disruption of a young life? Editor: I never would have thought to look at a portrait through a postcolonial lens. Seeing it now, though, it feels incredibly relevant to contemporary conversations about representation and power dynamics. Curator: Exactly. By interrogating these historical images, we can understand how these dynamics continue to shape our present. It invites reflection on how photographic portraiture has historically been used to both document and, perhaps, control marginalized communities. Editor: That's really shifted my perspective. I'll never see these kinds of portraits in quite the same way. Curator: And that is how art can transform us. Thank you for letting me share my insights!