Pompeii_ Gate of Herculaneum, No. 5074 c. 1880 - 1890

Editor: Here we have Giacomo Brogi’s "Pompeii, Gate of Herculaneum, No. 5074," an albumen print dating from the 1880s or 90s. There's a real stillness to the image, and a strong emphasis on the stonework and architectural ruins. What stands out to you? Curator: The albumen print itself speaks volumes. Consider the labor involved in its production at that time, the chemical processes, the specific type of paper used. This wasn’t just about capturing an image; it was a deliberate process utilizing specific materials developed in a rapidly industrializing world. The photograph then, is also about early chemical industries. Editor: That’s a really interesting point, the process as an element in the piece. So how does that lens affect our interpretation of the image of Pompeii? Curator: The ruins themselves become materials in a different kind of production, one of constructing a visual record for consumption. Think about who commissioned this photograph, who purchased it. It would have been someone interested in archaeology as an early form of tourism and spectacle, wouldn't you say? It prompts the question of labor and social class of who were behind the means to access and experience these ruins in the 19th Century. Editor: I hadn't considered the economic and social dynamics so explicitly linked to its materiality and availability! So we have to think about accessibility, the means of image production, and its distribution to the consumer. Curator: Precisely! Brogi's work, then, allows us to explore the intersection of labor, materials, and the very consumption of history. Editor: So the act of viewing it now implicates us in that network! Thanks for sharing those perspectives! Curator: My pleasure!