The Neela Pass, at the Head of the Buspa Valley c. 1867

Curator: This photograph, by Samuel Bourne, captures The Neela Pass at the Head of the Buspa Valley. Editor: It feels…vast, and terribly lonely. The scale is just immense, with those tiny figures dwarfed by the landscape. Curator: Bourne made several trips to India in the 1860s, documenting the landscape with a distinctly colonial gaze. He was celebrated for his technical skill. Editor: Colonial gaze or not, he certainly captured the sheer drama. It’s almost monochrome, but that gives it such an austere, timeless quality. Curator: Precisely. These images were often used to reinforce the Empire's power, suggesting the unyielding nature of British presence. Editor: I see that, but I also see the sublime in nature's indifference, you know? These mountains don't care about empires. Curator: A fair point. It shows the power of images to resonate differently across time. Editor: Absolutely. I'm still shivering just looking at it.