Agra. View of the Taj from a Corner in the Quadrangle

Samuel Bourne, a British photographer who spent seven prolific years in India from 1863 to 1870, captured this stunning albumen print of the Taj Mahal. Bourne, known for his meticulous landscape photography and technical expertise, arrived in Calcutta in early 1863 and quickly established himself, eventually co-founding the renowned studio Bourne & Shepherd. This photograph, taken in 1863, showcases his early work in India, a period during which he embarked on ambitious expeditions across the subcontinent, often with a retinue of porters to carry his heavy 10x12-inch plate camera and wet plate collodion equipment. His ability to produce such finely composed and technically excellent images under challenging conditions in remote areas firmly places him among the finest 19th-century travel photographers. This view of the Taj Mahal from a corner of the quadrangle highlights his keen eye for composition, presenting a fresh perspective on an iconic monument, a hallmark of his extensive archive of over 2,200 images of Indian landscapes and architecture.