The Teapot c. 1875

Curator: This is "The Teapot," a stereograph by John K. Hillers. It's currently housed at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: The grainy textures and muted tones evoke a stark, almost prehistoric landscape. The rock formation is magnificent! Curator: Hillers, who lived from 1843 to 1925, worked extensively documenting the American West. His images often served a political purpose, shaping perceptions of western expansion. Editor: Thinking about the means of its production, the laborious process of early photography and its role in shaping public opinion is remarkable. It’s both an image and a crafted object. Curator: Exactly. These stereographs were mass produced and consumed, influencing ideas about the landscape and, by extension, its resources and inhabitants. Editor: It strikes me how the photograph’s inherent materiality—paper, emulsion, chemicals—becomes intertwined with the shaping of that very landscape it depicts. Curator: It's a powerful reminder of how images are never neutral. Editor: Indeed. The process itself becomes a part of the story.