Photograph of a three-quarters length portrait of 'John Andaman', an Andamanese man. He faces three-quarters left and is bare chested and is seated against a bare background.

This portrait shows an Andamanese man who was brought back to Calcutta with the British who named him 'John Andaman'. This was the first photograph of an indigenous Andaman Islander. Oscar Mallitte was part of a British survey party to the Andaman Islands (off the east coast of India) which was tasked with establishing a penal colony for Indian convicts.

Text adapted from Victoria & Albert: Art & Love, London, 2010