Officers Royal Engineers

This photograph was taken in the Himalayas at Shimla, the summer capital of the British colonial administration of India. The inscription beneath the photo identifies the officers. Lord Napier, commander-in-chief of the British Army from 1870 to 1876, is seated at center; he had been posted to India after distinguishing himself in Africa.

British Army engineers were responsible for designing and maintaining fortifications, as well as developing roads and other infrastructure critical for military success. Their training encompassed a broad curriculum, including subjects such as surveying, electricity, mechanics, construction, chemistry, photography, diving and submarine mining, and hot-air ballooning (for aerial reconnaissance). Photography was considered an "Art-Science," to be practiced actively by the "scientific soldiers" of the Royal Engineers Corps.

The composition of this photograph echoes standard European conventions of group portrait paintings. These typically featured individuals seated or standing in a symmetrical arrangement around a tapestry-covered table bearing objects carefully selected for their meaning to the group. Photographs like this reinforce the close connections between early photography and contemporary painting.