The Ashmolean presents its first exhibition dedicated to historical photography and negatives, featuring previously unseen images of India by Colonel Eugene Clutterbuck Impey. A member of the East India Company, Impey arrived in India in 1851 and served as a political agent following the British Crown’s takeover in 1858.

The collection of 247 glass negatives reflects British imperial interests, documenting colonial officers, religious sites and staged scenes of daily life. These images illustrate how early photography – popularized after 1839 – was utilized by British officials to categorize Indian social groups by ethnicity and provide visual justification for colonial governance.