Delhi Gate 1863 - 1866

Editor: This photograph, "Delhi Gate" by Samuel Bourne, shows an impressive fortress. It has a rather somber, monumental quality, and it makes me wonder about its purpose. What's your take on this piece? Curator: Given Bourne’s commercial enterprise, we must consider this image in relation to the networks of colonial resource extraction. How does the photographic process itself—the silver gelatin print—become a tool for cataloging and, in a way, possessing this monument? Editor: So, the photo itself becomes a kind of commodity? Curator: Precisely. It raises questions about the consumption and representation of colonial spaces. Understanding the means of production helps decode its intended audience and purpose. Editor: That's a perspective I hadn't considered. It really reframes how I see the photograph. Curator: Indeed. It adds layers to our interpretation.