Gezicht door berkenbast op Castle Williams, New York, gevangenis (voormalig fort uit de Amerikaanse burgeroorlog) 1906

This curious image shows Castle Williams on Governor’s Island in New York, photographed by C.M. Nelson. The image itself is bordered by what looks like birch bark. The island, initially inhabited by the Lenape people, became a military reserve in the early 19th century. Castle Williams, completed in 1811, served multiple purposes: from coastal defense to a prison during the Civil War. Nelson’s choice to frame the image with birch bark invites a dialogue between nature and military architecture. This photograph can be viewed through the lens of environmental history, examining the intersection of natural landscapes and human intervention. What does it mean to literally frame an image of incarceration with the natural world? This work prompts us to consider how spaces of confinement are perceived and represented. It reminds us to reflect on the complex and layered histories embedded in seemingly straightforward images. How does Nelson’s work invite us to question our relationship to both history and place?