“Le tour du monde I” Album (1899-1900-1901)
Overview:
“Le tour du monde I” is the photo album published in 1901 and created by Mr. Hobson, who was an English economist, social scientist and critic of imperialism, widely popular as a lecturer and writer and Sharf, Jean S. as a joint donor. It includes images from many different countries from eighteenth, nineteenth and the beginning of the twentieth century. The album begins with photographs in Honolulu, then Japan, China, the Philippines, Penang, Ceylon and India. The images are various: they show every day life of people, poor or rich, their culture, animals in a given territory, clothing, traditions and religious temples, it even features well-dressed ladies and gentlemen who travel by ocean liner. “Mr. Hobson” is referred to in the caption of a photograph showing three ladies and a gentleman seated on deck of a cruiser.
This album documented religion, clothing, everyday life of people and a visit to India, which was of a significance importance for the British when colonizing India. There were a lot of photographs taken that were compiled in this album and those simple people contributed to “ideological infrastructure of British rule in India” (Cohn, p. 65), which Cohn was discussing in his book.
Bernard S. Cohn’s book “Colonialism and Its Forms of Knowledge” analyzes the process of colonization of India by the British and its uniqueness because it was the first instance where they invaded a country with such a rich history. That is the reason why they needed to dig so deep (even clothing) in order to learn the Indian culture, customs and traditions. “Le tour du monde I” reflects most of it.
Images:
- India: Jain Temple, Calcutta. 2595.
This image captures Calcutta Jain Temple (also called Parshwanath Temple) is a Jain temple at Badridas Temple Street and a major tourist attraction in Kolkata (Calcutta), India. The temple was built by a Jain named Rai Badridas Bahadoor Mookim in 1867.It was particularly interesting for the British as it’s a big part a religious world for many Indians, their spiritual world. Without understanding it and taking it into consideration, the British wouldn’t be able to colonize the epistemological space of Indians. Cohn mentions Calcutta a lot in his book and of course the Indian Religion.
- India: “Purifying dead.” — “A Naga. Benares.” — “Burning ghat.” — “River front.’ — “Locomotion. Banares.” — “Shoe store.”
This image includes six various moments in the life of Indians, which reflect their daily lives. The first image “Purifying dead” – is the tradition of carrying and saying good bye to the dead people. Next two photos show a market in India, specifically there are show shoes. Market could also tell a lot to the British about what Indians sell the most, what is in scarcity, how to change it; The archaeological surveys and studies, which is an archaeological modality, have found that the people of India knew weaving and the spinning of cotton four thousand years ago and this is the industry the British were very interested in. The bottom three images show the Indians during in their route up/down the Tiger Hill, you can see how they traveled the distance and also see different castes, since some people are carrying others.
- India: “Taj Mahal.”
This architectural masterpiece is a culture of India itself, their holy place. Taj Mahal means “Crown of the Palace”, this building is an ivory-white marble mausoleum on the south bank of the Yamuna river in the Indian city of Agra. It was commissioned in 1632 by the Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan, to house the tomb of his favourite wife. The tomb is the centrepiece of a 17-hectare (42-acre) complex, which includes a mosque and a guest house. It was build a few centuries before the British invasion so it was one of the architectural pieces of the Indian history that they needed to know and respect during the colonization process.
- “The winning team.” — “Off Aden.” — “Suez” — “Entrance. Suez Canal.” — man posing by ship railing.
I believe Hobson included this image in the album to show the British upper class, how they travelled in 18-19th centuries comparing it to the Indians. A man reading a book on ship deck with a woman, another man is enjoying the trip lounging while they are saying thought the Suez Canal.
- India: people riding elephants — “At the Amer Palace.” — “Court yard” — “Hindoo temple.” — “Tomb. Ahmedabad.” — “2nd view.”
This image captures elephants and camels that were used for transportation of a higher caste in India. We can also see it from the clothing that people on these animals are wearing. The British didn’t have this animals at all, this is a big difference. It also shows how different the Indians lived there lives even in the use of these animals traveling, carrying, transporting people or products.
References:
http://digital.wolfsonian.org/WOLF037637/00001/62j?search=tour+%3ddu+%3dmonde
http://digital.wolfsonian.org/WOLF037637/00001/61j?search=tour+=du+=monde
http://digital.wolfsonian.org/WOLF037637/00001/68j?search=tour+=du+=monde
http://digital.wolfsonian.org/WOLF037637/00001/83j?search=tour+=du+=monde
http://digital.wolfsonian.org/WOLF037637/00001/78j?search=tour+=du+=monde