Gezicht op een baai met rotsen, vermoedelijk in de buurt van Sydney c. 1890 - 1910

Charles Bayliss made this photograph, "Gezicht op een baai met rotsen, vermoedelijk in de buurt van Sydney", using a photographic process. It captures a bay with rocks, likely near Sydney, evoking a sense of serene isolation. Bayliss was working in a colonial context where landscape photography played a significant role in shaping perceptions of the Australian continent. In the 19th century, photography was often used as a tool to document and promote the idea of progress and settlement in newly colonized lands. Here, the composition emphasizes the natural beauty of the bay, presenting an image of untouched wilderness. The absence of human figures prompts us to consider the representation of space and the colonial narrative of taming the land. It might be interesting to look into archives, newspapers, and colonial government records to understand how such images influenced settlement and the displacement of Indigenous populations.