Tanjore. Great Pagoda. South Facade of Small Chapel

One of the first photographers appointed by the British government, Linnaeus Tripe was enlisted to document historic buildings and religious temples. From March to April 1858, Tripe photographed Thanjavur’s renowned “Great Pagoda,” the Rajaraesvara temple that is one of South India’s greatest Chola temple complexes. Tripe’s dramatic compositions and painted-in skies enhance the natural beauty of the 11th-century structure. The British considered themselves stewards of India’s monuments following the assumption of Crown rule in 1858, and pictures such as Tripe’s were published with text suggesting that under colonial control “a brighter day has already dawned in India.”