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Colonial Photo Project Reveals Control Over Indian Identity

3/20/2026

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Summary

Story summary

The People of India project (1868–1875), initiated by British colonialists, collected photographs to classify and control Indian subjects.
Images depicted unnamed individuals labeled as "ethnic specimens" with captions that generalize and demean.
Curator Sudeshna Guha notes native agency shaped how people posed, challenging the idea of fixed "types."
Overall, the project functioned as a tool of British control during colonial rule.

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Story summary

The People of India project (1868–1875), initiated by British colonialists, collected photographs to classify and control Indian subjects.
Images depicted unnamed individuals labeled as "ethnic specimens" with captions that generalize and demean.
Curator Sudeshna Guha notes native agency shaped how people posed, challenging the idea of fixed "types."
Overall, the project functioned as a tool of British control during colonial rule.