Lauren
Lauren
Forum Replies Created
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Session Two: Unstable Objects: Photography, Social Change, and Dissent
I found three versions of a photograph showing Mahatma Gandhi leading a group of people during the 1930 Salt March, which was part of a wider campaign of civil disobedience to protest British rule over India. The first version of the photo is close-cropped and seems to create a point of focus on Gandhi and was found on a blog site as part of a header image. The second version was found here: https://www.alamy.com/stock-image-scenes-during-mahatma-gandhis-famous-salt-march-this-march-on-foot-162592623.html. The second photo shows more of the people who marched alongside Gandhi and gives an idea of the place where they marched (as foliage is shown in the background). The third photo shows a colour version of the photo, also from a blog, which has cropped out the man with a moustache on the far right of the Alamy photo. I think creating a focus on one person visually perhaps also focuses — whether intentionally or not — on one person’s story and therefore agency. Adding colour to a photo may help to create a wider appeal to audiences of different generations who may be more used to seeing colour photographs. However, this may also make the photograph more difficult to date, as the original all-over colour and/or texture of a photo may tell us about what photographic process was used, thereby giving an approximate timeline of when the photo was made.
alamy.com
Download this stock image: Scenes during Mahatma Gandhi’s famous Salt March. This march on foot to the sea coast at Dandi, on the eve of the Salt Satyagraha, 1930. This peaceful resistance was part of Gandhi's Non-violent opposition to British … Continue reading
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Session One: Seeing Historically: Photography, Knowledge, and Power
Questions about the photograph: Why did the photographer choose that particular backdrop, table and vase of flowers as the props appearing with the boys? Who decided on the pose? Were the boys uncomfortable while holding the pose, assuming that they might have had to stay still for some time during the development process? Who decided what clothes and jewelry the boys would wear?
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Session One: Seeing Historically: Photography, Knowledge, and Power
The photograph is titled “Two Maratha boys from Akalkot”; by Hurrychund Chintamon, India; 1867, found on the Encyclopedia section of Impart, by the Museum of Art & Photography (MAP), Bengaluru.
The two boys are the focus of the photograph, judging by their position at either side of the photograph. The photograph appears to be posed, rather than spontaneous. The backdrop behind them looks like that from a photographer’s studio, since it is plain aside from a “classical”-looking vase that reminds me of architectural decorations on classical or neo-classical buildings. The lighting draws attention to their garments and detailed jewelry (e.g. the delicate chains that connect to a ring worn on one finger). The textiles making up the garments looks like a type of Indian brocade embroidered with zari. The boys appear to come from a wealthy family, judging by their garments, jewelry, accessories (perhaps more accurately weapons?) and the fact that the photograph is formally posed inside a photographer’s studio.
I cannot tell if the climate of the area where the photo was taken influenced the comfort of the sitters during the session, and if it influenced the development of the photo itself. I cannot tell if the boys were willing to be photographed or obliged their parents/caregivers. I am unsure if the studio was in the same area that the boys came from, or if they travelled a long way to reach the studio. I don’t know whether the photograph was taken for a family album or other purposes.
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Hello, I’m Lauren Fonto, and I’m studying a Master’s degree in Heritage Conservation in South Africa. My dissertation research focuses on cleaning gilded wood with a combination of gel and solvent. I’m also interested in the conservation of books, paper and archival materials.