Photograph of Fatehpur Sikri, India by Samuel Bourne, 1860s.

This photograph gives a good overview of the city of Fatehpur Sikri, mainly the imperial palace complex. It is taken from the Diwan-i-Khas. It shows the Panch Mahal on the left hand side and in the distance, slightly fading away, it is possible to see the top of the imposing gateway of the Jami Masjid.

In the foregound is part of the Pachisi courtyard. The roof of the Ankh Michauli and the Astrologer's chair is in the bottom right hand corner. In the mid-ground, on the left hand side is Jodh Bai's Palace. Attached to this palace is the Hawa Mahal, which has two chattri-like kiosks on its roof

This photograph was initially part of the photographic collection held in the National Art Library. The markings on the mount are an indication of the history of the object, its movement through the museum and the way it is categorised.
The mount is green, it has a label with the title on it on the right hand side.

Historical significance: This photograph shows parts of buildings that are no longer part of the site. For instance, infront of the Panch Mahal is a small porch with five front pillars. In more recent photographs this structure has been removed (see photo in Archaeological survey of India, Fathepur Sikri).

In the foregound is part of the Pachisi courtyard. The roof of the Ankh Michauli and the Astrologer's chair is in the bottom right hand corner. In the mid-ground, on the left hand side is Jodh Bai's Palace. Attached to this palace is the Hawa Mahal, which has two chattri-like kiosks on its roof. Infront of this is a courtyard which has on one side a wall with five archways. This is known as the viaduct. In front of this and free standing in the courtyard is a kiosk. In more recent photographs this kiosk is shown to be standing infront of the Zanana garden wall. The wall or the garden are not present in this photograph and so show the extent of later restoration.

This photograph provides a good overview of Fatehpur Sikri, a city built by the Emperor Akbar (ruled 1556-1605). Construction began in 1571 and work continued on various buildings until 1585. The group of four tiny figures in the foreground gives a sense of scale to the buildings.

The British photographer Samuel Bourne lived and worked in India between 1862 and 1869. During this time he toured the Himalayas and travelled through the subcontinent, photographing its landscape, architecture and historical sites. He set up a studio in Simla with Charles Shepherd and sold his prints sold to an eager public both in India and Britain.

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