The Madame B Album c. 1870s

Editor: This is an albumen print from "The Madame B Album," dating back to the 1870s, housed right here at the Art Institute of Chicago. It looks like a serene cityscape, but something about the starkness of the architecture gives it an almost industrial feel. What do you make of it? Curator: It’s a fascinating piece. Consider the historical context. Photography in the 1870s was becoming more accessible, more widespread, documenting and shaping perceptions of urban development. Who controlled these images and whose perspectives were being shown? Editor: That's a good point. It’s not just a neutral record. Were albums like this one common? Curator: They were a marker of social standing, almost performative. Think of how families displayed portraits – this album offered Madame B a way to curate and present her world, shaping her identity in a rapidly changing society. Do you think this particular view, this urban perspective, tells us anything about Madame B herself? Editor: Possibly her connections to industry or her interest in showcasing modern advancements through photographic albums? It also could simply mean a document for remembering the beauty and progress of a new society. Curator: Precisely. And where does that sit within a historical power structure? How do institutions use images like this to write and re-write history? Whose stories get told and seen and whose remain invisible? It really prompts you to consider who the subjects are within an image, and beyond the aesthetic values of the image itself. Editor: That's insightful. I’ll definitely look at these early photographs with a different perspective from now on, knowing whose perspective may be featured beyond a personal enjoyment of images and photographs. Curator: I'm glad to hear. That critical engagement with art, understanding its historical and social weight, that is what’s key.