Gezicht op een dam in de Ganges before 1867

Thomas George Glover captured this photograph of a dam on the Ganges sometime in the mid-19th century. Glover, a British photographer, documented engineering projects in India, part of the colonial project. The image presents a stark depiction of human intervention in the natural landscape. Dams, emblematic of control and progress, contrast with the river's inherent power. This intervention embodies the colonial mindset of taming nature for resource extraction. The Ganges, a river sacred to millions, becomes a site of industrial utility. Dams like this altered ecosystems, displaced communities, and disrupted traditional ways of life. As viewers, we are positioned within a narrative of power, invited to consider the human cost of development. The dam, while seemingly inert, represents a complex interplay of engineering ambition and cultural transformation, asking us to reflect on whose progress is prioritized and whose voices are silenced.