I chose these pictures because their inclusion in the album, and the album’s vast amount of pictures referring to cotton production in general, reflect the priorities of the imperial state. Russia’s expansion into Central Asia in the 1860s and 70s occurred during a time in which there were significant increases in the world prices for cotton, this in part due to the United States’ civil war during which interrupted the US’s export of cotton from the south. Arguments occurred in Russia specifically referencing Central Asia as a possible site for affordable cotton for the empire. After the conquest, cotton agriculture would continually to be emphasized leading to eventually disastrous results – such as the 1919 – 1922 famine. This occurred in part due to the tsarist (and then later communist ) emphasis on the production of cotton, leading to not enough food being produced and dependence on imported food. From the pictures themselves we can see that that both genders were involved in cotton production.