Vliegtuig voor vertrek voor een vlucht over de Grand Canyon, Verenigde Staten 1936

Curator: This photograph, "Vliegtuig voor vertrek voor een vlucht over de Grand Canyon, Verenigde Staten," taken in 1936, is incredibly evocative. The monochrome palette lends it a certain historical weight, highlighting the details of the aircraft’s construction and design. Editor: It really does! I'm drawn to the corrugated metal of the plane. What catches your eye in terms of the making of this image? Curator: I'm interested in the context of aviation's rise in the 1930s. Air travel shifted from daredevil acts to more commercial activities. Consider how the very material—the riveted metal, the large radial engine—speaks to that transition and how it literally changed the landscape by allowing easier access. Doesn’t the material record suggest that? Editor: Yes, it definitely does! I hadn't really thought about the industrial aspect and the materials used to make the plane itself. It seems that a lot of labor would have been required for the aluminum build. Does the composition also emphasize these ideas? Curator: In some ways it certainly does! Think about the angles, the reflections on the metal surface and how those communicate the mass-produced nature of transportation at the time. Now, considering this as a 'print' according to its listed medium: does that change the idea that is 'realistic' by offering an impression that is tangible and can be touched? Editor: That’s a great question. Viewing it as a physical object and thinking about it as something that’s created, rather than found, impacts how I appreciate its value. Thank you. Curator: I find myself reflecting on how our understanding shifts depending on what we consider the artist's tools: the camera and darkroom and printing paper versus airplane factories. Editor: Absolutely, the way materials and labor are viewed offers us different interpretations.