Twee exterieurs van laboratoria van Yale University te New Haven before 1895

This is a photograph of two exteriors of laboratories at Yale University in New Haven, taken by an anonymous photographer. What does it mean to capture these buildings in a photograph? A question we can ask is what is the public role of the university? Seen in this image are the monumental buildings where important scientific and medical research was happening. The architecture communicates the values of this institution. The image creates meaning through visual codes of grandeur, suggesting the importance of the work done within. Made in America, it reflects the burgeoning scientific culture. To understand this image better, one can look into the archives of Yale University, tracing the history of scientific research at this particular institution. As historians, our interpretation hinges on the social and institutional context, reminding us that the meaning of art is contingent and historically constructed.