The Imperial Eye: Perception in British Photography (1850-1870) of India and the Near East

Lindsay, Alison Johnston (1993) The Imperial Eye: Perception in British Photography (1850-1870) of India and the Near East. MLitt(R) thesis, University of Glasgow.

Abstract

The thesis considers nineteenth century photographic images of India and the Near East in relation to previous and contemporary ideas and attitudes, with particular emphasis on early work (185-1870) by Francis Bedford, Samuel Bourne, Francis Frith and Linneaus Tripe. The photographers selected were all, in some way, financially dependent on the popularity and success of their work and hence their photographs may be presumed to have been taken with a potential audience in mind. This audience, most of which was made up of the British middle class, had certain pre-conceptions about the subject-matter of the photographs, based on a wide range of artistic, social, cultural and historical attitudes and beliefs. The extent to which these are reflected in the photographs studied is given special consideration in the thesis. Topographical subjects form the bulk of the images analysed. Particular attention is paid to the extent to which photography continued the idea of the eighteenth century 'Picturesque', whilst what was regarded as a 'moral' dimension of photography is analysed with reference to nineteenth century notions of 'truth', eg as found in the work of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, Ruskin, Tennyson etc. Comparison with previous and contemporary artistic depictions of the same scenes helps to reveal the extent to which photography reflected changing perceptions of India and the Near East.

• Item Type: Thesis (MLitt(R))
• Qualification Level: Masters
• Additional Information: Adviser: Clare Willsdon
• Keywords: Art education, History
• Date of Award: 1993
• Depositing User: Enlighten Team
• Unique ID: glathesis:1993-75574
• Copyright: Copyright of this thesis is held by the author.
• Date Deposited: 19 Nov 2019 19:24
• Last Modified: 19 Nov 2019 19:24
• URI: https://theses.gla.ac.uk/id/eprint/75574