Façade van de Jama Masjid in Ahmedabad before 1866

Thomas Biggs captured this image of the Jama Masjid in Ahmedabad, India, using a photographic process. Photography in India during this period wasn't just documentation; it was deeply entangled with the British colonial project. The architecture, like the Jama Masjid, became subjects through which colonial power was asserted. Architectural photography was promoted by institutions such as the Archaeological Survey of India. The visual codes present here, the framing, the angle, and the very act of capturing this mosque, reflect the photographer's position as an outsider looking in. The photograph becomes a tool for understanding how the British viewed and categorized Indian culture and society. Historians use photographs like this, alongside texts and other archival materials, to understand the complex relationship between colonizer and colonized, and how cultural institutions influenced artistic production. Understanding art requires understanding its historical and institutional context.