Landschap in de sneeuw: Ellis River bij Iron Mountain House, NH, Verenigde Staten Possibly 1899

Editor: So, this is Charlotte M. Endicott’s “Landscape in the Snow: Ellis River near Iron Mountain House, NH, United States,” likely from 1899. It’s a gelatin-silver print, and it gives me this intense feeling of isolation, even though it's a landscape. What strikes you when you look at it? Curator: The almost monochrome nature of this image really stands out. Consider its time: the late 19th century, on the cusp of rapid industrialisation and shifting gender roles. Here's a woman venturing into and documenting the wilderness. What did it mean for her to claim space, visually and physically, within this traditionally masculine domain? Do you see that potential statement? Editor: That's fascinating! I hadn’t thought about the context of a woman photographer at that time. The untouched snow, though… it also makes me think about humanity’s impact on nature, or lack thereof, back then, and how different that is today. Curator: Exactly! The untouched quality also suggests a particular kind of leisure available to some classes. What opportunities or social barriers would have determined who had access to this kind of “nature”? Whose voices are present, and absent, in this seemingly neutral landscape? Editor: It makes me question the idea of a ‘pure’ landscape, devoid of social meaning. Maybe even the desire for that “untouched” space is a statement. Curator: Precisely! This piece invites us to reflect on photography itself: who is behind the lens, what choices are they making, and whose stories are told—or left untold—through their art? Editor: I am struck at the power of visual narratives. Thinking about it beyond the pure aesthetic gives it another layer. Curator: It's those layers of interpretation, understanding, and re-evaluation that really bring the art to life and make it relevant.