Railway bridge across the Yamuna river at Prayagraj (Allahabad), Uttar Pradesh, India 1865 - 1874

Samuel Bourne's "Railway bridge across the Yamuna river at Prayagraj (Allahabad), Uttar Pradesh, India," is a striking photographic portrayal of the impact of modernization on India in the 19th century. Captured between 1865 and 1874, the image depicts a metal truss railway bridge spanning the Yamuna river. Bourne's use of a wide-angle perspective and crisp detail emphasizes the bridge's impressive scale and engineering. The reflection of the bridge in the calm water enhances the image's sense of symmetry and creates a visual dialogue between the traditional and the modern.