John McCosh Photography Essay

I propose an exhibit of John McCosh's photography during the years 1844 to 1849. In these works, John McCosh, a doctor in the Bengal Army, is taken into account by certain historians to be the first photograph acknowledged by name (Hannavy 912). He took a set of photographs showing the Second Anglo-Sikh War. They constituted set of portrays of colleagues such as key personalities from the administrators and their siblings and wives, including Viscount Gough. Other key personalities were Patrick Alexander Vans Agnew, British commander General Sir Charles James Napier and Dewan Mulraj. He also took photographs of natives and architecture, the disparaging aftermath, and artillery emplacements.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Save 25%

I believe that the photography work is known as 'calotype negatives' was the 'golden moment' of McCosh's photography career. In these works, McCosh took portrays of the Second Silk war, the earliest war photographs. The photograph took the initial grainy photos of the Silk individuals and Lahore palaces. As the history of the Sikhs has been aired in the media, McCosh is acknowledged as one of the military photographers who proceeded to snap the Sikhs in the British Army. Early photographs of Sikhs addressed attitudes related to the British invasion in India. These silks signified the authority of photographs as a colonial tool of suitability and classification. The photographic medium was later utilized for war propaganda and as a tool of anthropology (Hannavy 912).

In the Second Anglo-Sikh War, McCosh used a quarter plate camera to take a couple of photographs that were in the dimensions of 10cm x 8cm. Most of his photographs were only portraits of commanders or the local land though were acknowledged as the first photos taken during the armed conflict. Arguably, these photographs were a little official other than upper for the highly ranked officers to boast of their fulfillment.

The photographs were taken by McCosh during the battle justify that he was journalistic. John was reported to the Indian Government on the topography of Assam. Topography constituted individuals, geography, history, economics and natural history. In fact, anything that a journalist on a facet though worth recording. This topography would have been a significant work of reference for government officials. In this modern world, the unexpected glimpse into McCosh domestic life is distinguishable from the list of other war photographers (Victoria and Albert Museum).

McCosh was sensitive because he was able to communicate color, visually and tonal relationships. Color and tonality or value in black and white photographs express emotional resonance. The color and tonal relationships are the modifier to the verb and adjective to the noun. The create beauty, improve meaning and impact the audience on conscious and unconscious levels. Tonal and color relationships are felt and perceived more than they are assessed or intellectualized. The lush language of tonality and color are utilized in art and design as main communication tools and can make the McCosh be described as a sensitive individual.

McCosh had a catchy eye and proved to be skillful. Cameras during that period required a person that had stiff hands and comparing the conditions that the photos were taken, McCosh proved this assuming during the war there were many commotions that could disturb a person. The quality of the pictures that McCosh took from their point of view they must have been done by a person that really loved their work hence their reference in today's photo world.

Works Cited

Hannavy, John, ed. Encyclopedia of nineteenth-century photography. Routledge, 2013.

Victoria and Albert Museum. "Sikh Historical Photographs - Victoria And Albert Museum". Vam.Ac.Uk, 2018, http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/s/sikh-historical-photographs/. Accessed 18 June 2018.