Gezicht op Jeruzalem met de vijver van Hizkia before 1875

This photograph of Jerusalem with the Pool of Hezekiah was taken by Francis Frith in the mid-19th century. Photography at this time was more than just image-making; it was a tool deeply intertwined with social and political projects. Frith was one of the first to photograph the Middle East on a large scale. Consider the context: this was the height of the British Empire, a time of intense colonial interest in the region. Images like these were not just aesthetic; they shaped Western perceptions of the ‘Orient,’ often reinforcing notions of Western superiority. The composition, carefully framed, presents Jerusalem as an object of study, almost of ownership. How does the act of photographing a place change our understanding of it? What power dynamics are at play when a Western photographer captures an Eastern city? As historians, we must look beyond the surface of the image, researching the social and institutional contexts that shaped its creation and reception. Understanding these forces helps us to see the complex ways in which photography participated in the colonial project.