This fish-shaped boat, wrecked on the banks of the River Gomti, represented rebellion and political change.
The Royal Boat of Oude belonged to the last Nawab(ruler) of Awadh to reign, Wajid Ali Shah. [1] [2] Thanks to the Indian Rebellion of 1857, his rule and his boat met their end.
In the distance is the Chattar Manzil, a palace built by a previous Nawab, Ghazi-ud-Din Haidar Shah. It too looks worse for wear.
Did you know?…
Felice Beato, the photographer of the symbolic image above, was one of the first ever war photographers. He was also one of the earliest people to take photographs in East Asia! [3]
Here is the Getty Museum’s full collection of Beato’s works. There are over 1,400 images! I plan on featuring more in the future, so stay tuned.