['North middle', 'North'] before 1882

Curator: Oh, isn’t this image evocative? It just sighs with history. This is "North Middle" and "North", captured before 1882 by James Notman. We’re looking at an albumen print, a type of photography very common at the time. What catches your eye? Editor: It's austere, isn't it? Almost grim. The stark geometry of those buildings against the barren trees—it feels very much like a statement about institutional power and the weight of tradition. Curator: You know, when I look at it, I imagine what the students must have been feeling. It's like a snapshot of their daily lives, these old dormitories...I can almost hear the echoes of their youthful dreams mingling with the squeak of floorboards. What’s very intriguing, though, is Notman's deliberate framing. It's so static. Almost unnervingly balanced. Editor: Absolutely. It's crucial to remember this was created in a context of intense social stratification and unequal access. These buildings were bastions of privilege. To present them without critique normalizes that inequality, which is a choice in itself. Curator: It’s a dance between art and documentation. Notman’s images sold a story… maybe a myth of the institution’s grandeur. Still, I find beauty even in its rigidity. It reflects the ambition and the very firm belief that some buildings *should* outlive you. Editor: I'm stuck, though, on the silences within the frame. What's not being shown? Who is excluded from this idyllic vision? To celebrate the architecture without interrogating its purpose is, frankly, an incomplete narrative. Curator: Hmm, yes, true. This picture makes me want to visit, to see the place still breathing, but also, I guess, because you are here, to look twice before believing what's framed. Thanks for shaking up my comfortable impressions. Editor: My pleasure. Now you’ve got me curious too! There is more to buildings than bricks and mortar. They say so much about who we were and who we still are.