Untitled (the grand hall and obelisk at Karnak) c. 1880

Curator: The scale of this image, taken by the Zangaki Brothers, just stuns me. It captures the grand hall and obelisk at Karnak with such detail. Editor: It's undeniably impressive, but I can't help but feel a pang of discomfort. These ruins stand as a powerful symbol of a past civilization, yet this photograph also speaks to colonial-era tourism and appropriation. Curator: Oh, absolutely. There's a melancholic beauty to these crumbling columns, a whisper of time, but I get what you're saying. It’s impossible to separate the image from its historical context. Editor: Right. Who was this image really for? Was it about documenting history or fueling a romanticized, exoticized view of ancient Egypt for Western audiences? Curator: Both, probably. The Zangaki Brothers were known for catering to tourists, capturing these monumental scenes for them to take home. But I can't help but imagine those tourists then, and how different is what they see from what we see now? Editor: That's a good question. We bring to it our own understanding of power dynamics, cultural sensitivity, and the legacies of colonialism. It complicates the image, doesn't it? Curator: Massively. It makes the image both beautiful and problematic, which is often where the most interesting conversations begin, don't you think? Editor: Precisely. By looking at the layers of history—both within the ruins and within the photograph itself—we can begin to unravel its complex narratives.