Gezicht op een aanlegplaats bij Kantara aan het Suezkanaal met een schip, mannen en kamelen op vaartuigen c. 1870 - 1891

This is an albumen print titled "View of a landing place near Kantara on the Suez Canal with a ship, men and camels on vessels" by Hippolyte Arnoux. The photograph captures a moment in the midst of colonial expansion, depicting the landscape and local populations around the Suez Canal, a critical artery of imperial trade and military power. We see a stark visual layering of people and animals against the backdrop of industrial progress. The men standing by the water's edge, are dwarfed by the ship, suggesting a social hierarchy imposed by colonial infrastructure. The Suez Canal dramatically altered global trade routes and power dynamics, deeply affecting the people who lived along it. Arnoux’s photograph invites us to reflect on the human stories interwoven with the grand narratives of progress. It allows us to see a confluence of identity, labor, and technology at a pivotal moment in history.