Matas (Miliciens indigènes) 1866

This photograph, titled ‘Matas (Miliciens indigènes)’ was taken in Saigon by Emile Gsell, a French photographer active in Southeast Asia. Its sepia tones are the product of the wet collodion process, a labor-intensive technique involving coating a glass plate with chemicals, exposing it in the camera while still wet, and then developing it immediately. The material conditions of photography at the time shaped the image. The long exposure times required meant that subjects had to remain still, resulting in formal, posed compositions. Here, the two indigenous militiamen are presented with the accoutrements of their position: spears, and bladed weapons. Gsell's work offers a valuable visual record of French colonialism in Southeast Asia. It reminds us that photography, like any other medium, is not neutral. The choices made in its production - from the selection of subjects to the photographic process itself - reflect the complex social and political context in which it was made. Understanding the materiality of the photograph helps us recognize the photographer's own role as a colonist, mediating the image of the colonized for a Western audience.