['Japanese bell', 'View on campus'] before 1890

Edward H. Hart captured these photographic prints of campus life, presenting us with views of nature and the built environment. Notice the composition, how each view is framed—one circular and one rectangular. The differing shapes create separate spaces for each subject matter. This contrast invites a semiotic reading of campus life, where formal distinctions between shape and form might represent differing social or institutional functions. The circle, often associated with unity and community, contains a single, culturally specific object—the Japanese bell. In contrast, the rectangle frames a broader view of the campus, a space of passage and transition marked by a road leading into the distance. Hart's strategic arrangement prompts us to consider how these visual elements function not just aesthetically, but also as part of a larger cultural discourse. It challenges us to find fixed meanings, encouraging engagement with new ways of understanding space, perception and representation.