Gezicht in Epping Forest c. 1870 - 1890

Editor: Here we have a gelatin silver print from around 1870-1890, titled “Gezicht in Epping Forest,” which translates to "View in Epping Forest.” It's a photograph contained within a book, next to a poem called "The Epping Hunt.” It has an antiquated and almost melancholic mood. How do you interpret this work? Curator: It’s fascinating to consider this image alongside its companion poem. "The Epping Hunt" hints at a satirical take on class and leisure, where different social strata converge for a hunt. This photograph, then, can be viewed as a deliberate insertion into that commentary. What statement do you think the photographer is trying to make by choosing this scene, devoid of any people, for such a charged social setting? Editor: Hmm, perhaps the absence of people suggests a critique of the hunt itself, focusing on the disruption of the natural world, regardless of the social aspects. Curator: Exactly! This image invites us to contemplate the environmental impact and ethical questions related to hunting practices in Epping Forest during that time. Was the forest seen as merely a playground for the upper classes, or a vital ecosystem deserving of protection? And whose voices are absent in the visual representation of this hunt? Consider the labor involved in maintaining these estates and facilitating such activities. Editor: That's a powerful perspective. I hadn’t considered the photograph as an active commentary on labor and ecological impact. Curator: Considering both the text and image, how does juxtaposing social gatherings with the solitary forest affect your perception of this piece as a whole? What does it say about who belongs in the landscape, and on what terms? Editor: Now, seeing it within the context of social critique and labor, the image resonates more deeply than before. Thank you! Curator: It's by engaging with history and these absences that we can start to unravel the complex meanings embedded in this photograph.