[The Maidan from Government House During the Rains] 1858 - 1861

This albumen silver print by John Constantine Stanley captures the Maidan from Government House in India. Photography at this time involved a complex chemistry, manipulating light-sensitive materials like silver salts on a treated paper surface. The final sepia tone imbued the image with a timeless quality, despite its capturing of a specific moment and place. What's fascinating here is the social context embedded in the production of this image. As a British officer, Stanley would have been part of the colonial administration. The photograph presents a meticulously ordered landscape, a visual representation of British power and control in India. The labour involved in maintaining such a manicured environment and the social inequalities inherent in the colonial project are subtly present. It makes us question the relationship between the technology of photography, the exercise of colonial power, and the representation of landscape.