West Front - Peterboro 1856

Curator: This is Alfred Capel Cure’s photograph, "West Front - Peterboro," taken in 1856. It's a gelatin silver print. Editor: Striking! There’s an almost ghostly quality to it, yet the architectural details are incredibly sharp. The depth and soaring height are masterful, aren’t they? Curator: Absolutely. And it's important to remember that at this time, photography was far from a simple, automated process. Each print was the result of intensive labour. Think of the resources to create and then lug this equipment—a glass plate camera, darkroom tent—and then to manipulate the gelatin silver process to get that sharp image on paper. This cathedral served as a product of collective medieval labor. It then requires subsequent artistic labor to even document its scale on film! Editor: It is true that the craftsmanship shines through. The stark contrasts—light and shadow, the linear patterns—are all meticulously framed to draw the eye upward. The framing and geometric rigor serve almost to highlight the romantic spirit. Curator: Considering it was captured in 1856, the image itself becomes a record of the industrial production of the period, even as the image shows the remnants of prior craftsmanship. Who took part in this image, both building and recording? How much did they labor and profit? How has it arrived here in our own museum’s halls? Editor: It offers a unique way to view history, and perhaps understand its materiality—of culture, labor, and landscape, not just composition! Thanks for lending this viewpoint. Curator: And thank you. I agree, it also pushes the eye, to consider light and geometry itself, while also reflecting back on what this artistic product is really worth to each of us.