Delhi, the Jumma Masjid from the North East 1863 - 1866

Editor: This is Samuel Bourne's photograph, "Delhi, the Jumma Masjid from the North East." It's an albumen silver print. There's a starkness in the landscape surrounding the mosque. What historical or social narratives do you see at play here? Curator: Bourne's work often romanticizes the "exotic" East. I'd ask, who is he photographing for? This image presents a grand architectural achievement, yet the figures seem almost incidental, suggesting a power dynamic between colonizer and colonized. Editor: So the framing of the people hints at a certain hierarchy? Curator: Precisely. Consider how the photographic gaze itself can be an act of appropriation, silencing indigenous voices while celebrating imperial ambition. What is included, and what is intentionally omitted? Editor: I never thought about photography in that way, it changes my perspective. Thanks!