Thayet Myo: Pagoda on the South of Cantonment 8 - 1855

Linnaeus Tripe captured this image of the Pagoda on the South of Cantonment in Thayetmyo using the calotype process, a technique that was still relatively new at the time. Tripe, as a photographer for the British East India Company, was tasked with documenting the region. But, of course, his positionality as a colonial agent shaped what and how he photographed. The pagoda, a site of spiritual and cultural significance for the local Burmese population, is presented here within the context of the British Cantonment, a military garrison. What does it mean to frame a sacred space through the lens of colonial power? Note the sharp detail of the pagoda against the soft focus of the natural surroundings. The photograph invites us to consider the complex layers of identity and history embedded within this image, a record of a specific time and place but also a reflection of broader power dynamics.