Photographing empire: Technology and colonial authority in the First Durbar Conference of 1897

Abstract

Historical photographs are increasingly recognised as significant visual sources for understanding colonial power, cultural representation and the production of historical knowledge. However, studies of the First Durbar Conference of 1897 have largely prioritised political and administrative narratives, leaving the technological dimensions of the photographic image underexplored. This study investigates the photographic technologies used to produce the group portrait Photos of Malay Rulers at the Kuala Kangsar Durbar 1897 by G.R. Lambert & Co. and examines how these technologies contributed to the visual construction of colonial authority and modernity in British Malaya. A qualitative historical-visual approach was adopted, guided by Gillian Rose’s concept of technological modality within Critical Visual Methodologies. Primary data comprise archival photographs from the National Archives of Malaysia and Leiden University Libraries, supported by archival documents and newspaper advertisements published between 1894 and 1898. The findings indicate that the photograph was most likely produced with a large-format view camera and the dry-plate process, both widely used by professional colonial studios in the late nineteenth century. The advertisements further reveal that G.R. Lambert & Co. promoted advanced printing methods, including platinotype, albumen-silver, bromide and collodion chloride processes, positioning itself as a technological leader in the colonial visual economy. These capabilities enabled highly controlled compositions that reinforced hierarchy, political legitimacy and colonial modernity. The study contributes to colonial photography scholarship by demonstrating that historical photographs are not merely documentary records but technologically mediated artefacts shaped by material practices, commercial interests and colonial power relations.