[Entrance to Botanical Gardens, Calcutta] 1850s

Captain R. B. Hill captured this albumen silver print, titled ‘Entrance to Botanical Gardens, Calcutta’. As a photographic process, albumen printing involves coating paper with a layer of egg white and silver nitrate, making it sensitive to light. The print is then created by placing a negative in contact with the prepared paper and exposing it to sunlight. This painstaking process yields a sharp image with fine details. The sepia tones and soft textures inherent in the albumen print enhance the image’s dreamlike quality. The print invites you to consider the cultural and social context in which it was made. The act of photographing the Botanical Gardens speaks to British colonialism, using the camera as a tool to document and claim ownership of the landscape. Hill’s choice of albumen printing—a technology that demanded time and careful attention—contrasts sharply with the industrialization reshaping society. It underscores the artistic labor that shaped this image, urging us to see photography not just as documentation, but as a craft that intersects with broader issues of power and representation.