The Brooks black walnut, West Medford before 1890

Editor: This is "The Brooks black walnut, West Medford," a gelatin-silver print, taken before 1890 by Henry Brooks. It feels like a formal portrait of a tree, almost staged with the figure standing nearby. What do you see in this photograph? Curator: I see more than just a tree, I see a representation of power structures and environmental exploitation masked as a serene landscape. The imposing black walnut becomes a symbol, potentially embodying ideas around land ownership and patriarchal legacy in 19th-century America. Consider the solitary figure: who might this person be, and what is their relationship to the tree and the land? Editor: I hadn’t considered the photograph in that light. I was just thinking about how majestic the tree looked! So, you're saying that even a seemingly straightforward landscape photograph can be loaded with social commentary? Curator: Precisely! And let's consider the act of photographing a single tree. It isolates this natural object, potentially divorcing it from a wider ecosystem. It raises important questions about human intervention, and our impulse to document and ultimately control the natural world. The title emphasizes a connection to the Brooks family – whose narrative is being prioritized here? Whose story might be obscured by this focus? Editor: That's fascinating. The photo now feels different - the framing seems almost like an assertion of control, of ownership. Curator: Exactly. These images aren’t neutral. By engaging with their historical context, we can reveal these complicated dynamics of race, class, and gender and open dialogue about who and what gets represented – and why. It challenges us to think critically about the seemingly objective eye of the camera. Editor: I will never look at a landscape photograph the same way again! Thank you! Curator: The power of art lies in these types of insights, how it holds up a mirror to both the past and the present.