Mount Moira, S. of the Gangootri Glacier c. 1867

Curator: Samuel Bourne's photographic print, "Mount Moira, S. of the Gangootri Glacier," captures a formidable peak dominating the landscape. I am immediately struck by the sheer scale. It dwarfs everything, doesn't it? Editor: It does, and for me it's the muted tones that evoke a sense of timelessness, almost biblical in its grandeur. What would the reception to such images been in its day? Curator: Well, Bourne was active in the second half of the 19th century and brought back some of the first large-scale landscape images of the Himalayas. The sublime was a popular Romantic trope in British culture at the time and photography offered a new way to engage with the themes of nature and British exploration. Editor: The two figures in the foreground emphasize the puniness of man against such a backdrop. It's a motif we see again and again, to convey humility, but also resilience, perhaps? Curator: Certainly. And Bourne was very aware of how he was representing not just the landscape, but the Empire’s relationship with the landscape. It reflects a very Western perspective on conquest and wonder, and scientific and artistic endeavor. Editor: It really makes you consider the weight we give to images, and how they continue to shape our understanding of place, culture and history.