Interieur van de Al-Aqsamoskee op de Tempelberg in Jeruzalem c. 1867 - 1895

Editor: So, we're looking at "Interieur van de Al-Aqsamoskee op de Tempelberg in Jeruzalem," taken by Maison Bonfils sometime between 1867 and 1895. It's a gelatin-silver print, and it's striking how the photographer captured the light. What aspects of this photograph really stand out to you? Curator: For me, it’s about understanding this image as a commodity. Bonfils, a commercial photography studio, produced this print for a market hungry for images of the ‘Orient.’ The material – the gelatin silver print – allows for mass production and dissemination. How does this ease of production impact our understanding of the mosque itself? Is it documenting a sacred space, or exploiting it for profit? Editor: That's a powerful point. I hadn't considered the economic aspect so directly. The accessibility of the print certainly changes its meaning. Curator: Absolutely. The materiality itself informs the cultural and political context. Think about the labor involved in acquiring materials, setting up the shot, developing the print. Bonfils likely employed local people in this process. What were their roles? Were they acknowledged? Editor: So, the photograph itself becomes a record of these often-invisible processes and power dynamics? Curator: Precisely. The seemingly straightforward image is, in fact, a complex document reflecting labor, materials, and colonial desires. Consider too, the shift that happened when photography became widely accessible, not just to wealthy artists. What do we gain and what do we lose with such a material and societal change? Editor: That reframing makes me consider not just the mosque's architecture, but the whole system that created this photograph. I’ll definitely view photography differently now. Curator: Excellent. Looking at the photograph with materialist awareness unveils hidden social stories within an object.