Annisquam 1899

Martha Hale Harvey made this photograph titled "Annisquam" in the late nineteenth or early twentieth century. It shows us a calm coastal scene, perhaps on Cape Ann in Massachusetts, a popular place for artists at the time. But who was Harvey, and what institutions shaped her artistic vision? Photography in the late 1800s was gaining recognition as an art form, often linked to ideas about picturesque landscapes and rural life, but it was also tied to social changes, like increasing urbanization, industrialization, and the rise of leisure culture. Harvey's choice of subject, the quiet harbor, might reflect a longing for a simpler, more traditional way of life, or perhaps it was made for the tourist trade. We might research photography clubs and art schools of the time, or local histories of Cape Ann, to place Harvey and her work in their full social and institutional context. To truly understand a work of art, we must consider the world in which it was made, exploring the social, cultural, and institutional forces that shaped both the artist and their audience.