Valley of the Tombs of the Kings, Thebes 1857

Editor: Here we have Francis Frith’s “Valley of the Tombs of the Kings, Thebes,” a gelatin silver print from 1857. It has this strikingly stark, almost alien, landscape. I'm struck by the weight of history, the way the light captures the textures. What can you tell me about it? Curator: Frith captures not just a place, but an intersection of time and symbol. Look at how the pyramids, or mountain formations in this case, pierce the sky; across cultures, this upward thrust embodies aspiration, a connection to the divine, the immutable. Don’t you feel a similar aspiration suggested in the scale? Editor: Yes, definitely, it’s humbling. The small figures really emphasize that. Curator: Precisely. Those figures also speak to the West’s fascination with the Orient, particularly Egypt, in the mid-19th century. How might the light and shadow, the starkness you mentioned, play into this? What do you read into those darker areas? Editor: The shadows definitely add to the mystery, perhaps implying hidden knowledge or secrets yet to be uncovered? Curator: Exactly! They reinforce that sense of exoticism, and also hint at the darker, more secretive side of human nature that such discoveries ignite. It plays into our assumptions, creating a sense of timelessness but also, arguably, reinforces Western power dynamics inherent in exploring and "discovering" these ancient places. Do you feel the sepia tone itself speaks to a kind of romanticism about the past? Editor: I think so, there is almost an artifact quality to the color that reminds us it is not a current photo. Thinking about it that way, photography was such a young medium then; this landscape depicts time while being a marker of its own time. Curator: A beautiful paradox! Photography's rise parallels this era of exploration. Consider this image’s afterlife, how it shaped understanding and continues to resonate, stirring notions of grandeur and mortality. It definitely offers food for thought. Editor: Absolutely, this image offers insight into how history and the contemporary moment can collide.