Artwork

Captain Brown's horses, Jhansi (recto, top); Captain Bailward's horses (recto, bottom); Captain Bailward's camel (verso, left); Captain Bailward's horse, Jhanso (verso, right)

Captain Brown's horses, Jhansi (recto, top); Captain Bailward's horses (recto, bottom); Captain Bailward's camel (verso, left); Captain Bailward's horse, Jhanso (verso, right) is a photography by the Impressionist artist Raja Deen Dayal. It dates from 1884 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art. The set comprises five small-format photographs depicting the mounts of British officers—four horses and one camel—arranged in two sheets.

About this work

Overview

The set comprises five small-format photographs depicting the mounts of British officers—four horses and one camel—arranged in two sheets. Executed in the mid‑1880s, the images capture the animals in posed, studio‑like settings against an Indian backdrop. They form part of a larger album of roughly 105 photographs documenting colonial life in India between 1885 and the summer of 1887.

Subject & Meaning

The pictures focus on the equine and camel companions of British military personnel, reflecting the status symbols of the colonial elite. By presenting the animals in a dignified manner, the photographs convey the authority and prestige associated with cavalry and transport in the British Indian army, while also hinting at the exotic environment of the subcontinent.

Technique & Style

Created with early photographic processes, likely wet‑plate collodion, the images exhibit the sharp detail and tonal range characteristic of late‑19th‑century studio work. The subjects are arranged on neutral grounds, allowing the textures of the horses' coats and the camel's skin to stand out, while the background suggests an Indian landscape without competing for attention.

History & Provenance

The photographs were taken by Raja Deen Dayal, one of the first Indian photographers employed by the British administration. They were assembled into an album that a British civil servant acquired around 1888 as a personal souvenir of his service in India. The museum currently holds 37 of the original album’s images (catalogue 2016.266), with this fragment representing the animal portion.

Context

During the 1880s, photographic albums served as visual records for officials stationed abroad, offering a curated view of colonial society, architecture, and daily life. This collection illustrates the intersection of British military culture and Indian artistic talent, highlighting how local photographers like Deen Dayal contributed to the visual documentation of empire.