Flight of stairs at Mihintale 1896

This photograph of a staircase at Mihintale, in Sri Lanka, was created by Henry William Cave, most likely in the late 19th century, using a photographic process and printing it in a book. The image captures a monumental stairway made from roughly hewn stones, ascending through a dense landscape. The stark contrast between the steps and the surrounding foliage emphasizes the built environment's intrusion into the natural world. This staircase is more than just a functional structure; it's a testament to human labor, each stone carefully quarried, shaped and placed by hand. The repetition of these steps speaks to the immense effort and time invested in its creation. The photograph also speaks to Cave's labor and role as witness to the space. Consider that this image was captured at a time of great industrial and colonial expansion. Cave here is capturing not a single object, but rather a place, which in turn speaks of human interaction and the amount of labor put into the building of a site. He asks us to consider human impact and presence in a space.