['Cape Town-Darling Street', 'Kowie River'] before 1880

Editor: So, here we have two albumen prints in an album, likely taken before 1880, titled "Cape Town-Darling Street" and "Kowie River" by Sam Alexander. I’m struck by the crisp details captured, almost like looking through a window to the past. What catches your eye in terms of their composition and form? Curator: The framing devices, notably the architectural setting in "Cape Town-Darling Street," are meticulously constructed. Note how the lines of the buildings converge towards the horizon, creating a deliberate sense of depth. What is interesting in terms of spatial construction is how Alexander uses tonality, with foreground darker to create greater contrast from the sky above. Are you struck by a similar approach in the river view? Editor: Absolutely, there's that strong contrast again, but the lines feel less sharp in "Kowie River," softened perhaps by the water and natural landscape. It does give a less precise depiction of space. Curator: Indeed, and consider how the artist utilizes the tonal range afforded by the albumen print process itself. The gradations of light and shadow aren't merely representational, they also function as compositional elements, guiding the viewer’s gaze. It's like a visual syntax, where darker and lighter tones form the visual arguments of each scene. What feelings does this monochromatic choice give you as you look at them now? Editor: The monochromatic palette feels like it emphasizes the texture of the built and natural environments and imbues the works with a documentary sensibility. What I see makes me appreciate photography’s unique capability to represent tangible reality. Curator: Precisely. It’s the inherent indexicality of photography further heightened by a restricted range of tones. Both "Cape Town-Darling Street" and "Kowie River," therefore, underscore the power of a photograph's indexical claim to truth. It has been great exploring how photography enables Alexander to give texture and tangible form to our worlds. Editor: This close analysis is changing how I think about landscape photography, shifting my focus toward tangible properties beyond representation.