Furness Abbey, from the West. c. 1865

Curator: This is Roger Fenton’s photograph, “Furness Abbey, from the West.” Editor: It evokes such a profound sense of ruin, doesn't it? The scale is so impressive, yet nature is slowly reclaiming it. Curator: Indeed, Fenton captured this in a way that makes the abbey a symbol of lost glory, a powerful monument to time’s passage. He was a master of capturing architectural details, imbuing stone with memory. Editor: And the light! It gives a sense of the sacred. But I also wonder about the politics of ruins—who gets to tell the story of what remains, and how does that shape collective identity? Curator: A potent question. The Abbey's decline mirrors shifts in power, religious upheavals, a whole saga of cultural change. Editor: Absolutely. It's a reminder that even grand structures are vulnerable, and their stories are always contested. Curator: Seeing it this way allows us to contemplate not only what was, but also what could be. Editor: It forces us to confront the impermanence of everything, really.