For many British colonials in India, hunting was the
ultimate expression of imperial power. The shikar or sport hunt was
believed to cultivate the Victorian ideals of sportsmanship, masculinity,
endurance, and love of nature. Shikar photographs were popular into the 20th
century, promoting the image of a mighty British ruling class. Like a trophy
skull or hide, photographs were potent reminders of the glory of the
hunt—especially in a tableau as ostentatious as this one. The similarities between
cameras and guns, both of which are loaded, aimed, and shot, were remarked upon
by photographers even in the 19th century.