Towanda From Table Rock c. 1895

Curator: Looking at this photograph by William H. Rau, entitled "Towanda From Table Rock," likely taken around 1895, I’m struck by the density of the composition and how the various material elements draw me in. Editor: There’s a real sense of hushed stillness about it, isn’t there? Almost dreamlike. You can almost feel the weight of that hazy air hanging over the scene. Curator: Right, and what I find fascinating is the way Rau employed platinum printing, a technique allowing for a wide tonal range and incredible detail. The materiality speaks volumes, capturing light in ways that other processes simply couldn’t at the time. How would this have impacted turn-of-the-century photography? The level of expertise and production? Editor: Absolutely. I'm also compelled to consider this image within a historical context. Towanda, Pennsylvania, was a growing industrial town at this time, and Rau's photograph, taken from an elevated "table rock" vantage point, in some way, almost idealizes the community. In what way does he leave out certain class markers and inequities? Curator: I think focusing on the technique illuminates the production involved in representing a very specific idea of American progress. These were very specialized skills. The process from taking the shot to making the print needed specific knowledge and material acquisition. Editor: Precisely! How were images like this distributed, and how did they contribute to a broader narrative of the "American Dream" – a dream often unattainable for many, particularly considering the labor that literally built these towns? It encourages a vital dialogue about image, identity, and inequality. The aesthetic choices play directly into creating this grand visual of place and progress, and also obscures reality for the community. Curator: Yes, thinking about the materiality of the print, the very object we are observing is another layer to appreciate that history and material use. Editor: I agree entirely. Reflecting on Rau's "Towanda From Table Rock," I am mindful of how art bears witness—simultaneously celebrating and concealing certain aspects of reality. Curator: I find the ability of these platinum prints to bring out specific details through labor to show just how important this piece, in its material history, showcases what photography could be.