October Morning c. 1900

William B. Post created this photograph, “October Morning,” using the platinum printing process, a popular technique among Pictorialist photographers, during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Pictorialism valued artistic effect over accurate representation, and promoted photography as a fine art. Here, Post’s soft focus and muted tones evoke a tranquil, almost dreamlike landscape. The scene is a subtle commentary on urbanization and industrialization in America at the time. Photographers like Post turned to nature, imbuing landscapes with a sense of nostalgia and a yearning for simpler times. Understanding this image requires us to consider photography's fraught position in the art world at the time, together with wider social and cultural anxieties about modernity. Examining publications and exhibition records from the period can offer deeper insights into Pictorialism's aims and its place within broader artistic movements.