Binnenplaats (atrium?) van Casa dei Vettii c. 1880 - 1895

Editor: So, this albumen print, attributed to Fratelli Alinari, captures the atrium of the Casa dei Vettii in Pompeii sometime between 1880 and 1895. The light seems to perfectly emphasize the structure of the colonnade and the courtyard. I am curious, what can you tell me about this photograph beyond just its architectural subject matter? Curator: This photograph speaks volumes about the evolving public interest in antiquity. Photography played a key role in democratizing access to historical sites previously only known through drawings and written accounts. Think about the late 19th century - Pompeii had already become a focal point of European Grand Tours and archaeological excavation, shaping not only the reconstruction efforts but also our understanding of the daily life in the Roman Empire. Editor: So, in a sense, it’s not just a photo *of* Pompeii, but *about* Pompeii's cultural currency at the time? Curator: Precisely. Consider the Alinari brothers’ business. They were effectively marketing visual artifacts to satisfy and perpetuate a burgeoning tourist industry. It fed a growing appetite for both scholarly study and popular consumption of the past, raising questions about whose vision of the past was being promoted and for what purposes. Editor: It is fascinating to consider how something seemingly straightforward like this photograph could be involved with complex factors around cultural memory and public access. Curator: Absolutely. Understanding the social and economic contexts surrounding the creation and dissemination of art like this deepens our insight into what art can really *do* in the world. Editor: It really makes me look at even documentary photos in a new way now!