Chess Players, Delhi (1862)

 

https://www.nationalgalleries.org/art-and-artists/95309?search=delhi&page=1&search_set_offset=88

The photograph taken from the National Galleries of Scotland Collection is titled Chess Players, Delhi from 1862. This was taken by Bourne and Robertson, who later became known as Bourne and Shepard—perhaps the most prolific photographic studio of their time. Their collection of photographs from 1860s India includes numerous ethnographic images like this one, which played a significant role in the colonial state's knowledge-gathering efforts following the Indian Rebellion of 1857.

This particular image was most likely staged by the photographers. Notice the man on the left, awkwardly perched while wearing his shoes, while another man looks on. The photographers created an oriental 'spectacle' for their viewers, using the camera lens to maintain a clear distance between themselves and their subjects. It's important to consider the context: Delhi in 1862 was a city depopulated by force, still reeling from the brutal reprisals that followed its involvement in the rebellion. The fact that the photographers staged this scene indicates their intent to craft a specific narrative about Delhi and India for their audience.

This photograph thus isn’t just a snapshot of leisure activities in 1860s Delhi; it’s a constructed image that reflects the power dynamics of colonialism. The photographers weren’t merely documenting reality—they were shaping it for their viewers back in Britain. This was how native subjects were imagined to spend their leisure time in far-flung imperial cities like Delhi. 'Knowing' subjects, moreover, as historians have reminded us, was inextricably linked with control of empire and the politics of colonialism. 

It is worth mentioning that the collection of images taken by Bourne and Robertson do also feature some images of the desolation of Delhi, particularly its environs. However, the underlying message isn't one of sympathy. The images of decay and desolation were meant to contrast directly with the modern and progressive force of British power and so therefore served a political purpose. More on this another day, though.