1133 Napoli riviera di Chiaia c. 1893 - 1903

Editor: So, this gelatin-silver print, "1133 Napoli riviera di Chiaia" by Giorgio Sommer, made sometime between 1893 and 1903... It's bustling! All the horse-drawn carriages and figures create such a vibrant street scene, even in monochrome. What strikes you most about this image? Curator: The most compelling aspect, for me, is the continuity of symbols. Note the prominent palm tree. What does it evoke for you, seeing it rendered in this way within an urban context? Editor: Hmmm, I guess it brings a sense of exoticism to the familiar street, making it feel less ordinary somehow. Curator: Precisely! The palm, traditionally a symbol of triumph, victory, and eternal life, suggests a persistent vibrancy even within the constraints of burgeoning modernity represented by the trams and structured buildings. How does Sommer’s decision to capture this scene in monochrome impact that symbolic language? Editor: Well, it certainly mutes the vibrancy. Without colour, we're left with forms and contrasts. Maybe it’s about a memory of a vibrant past rather than experiencing it firsthand. Curator: Interesting! It pushes us to consider how we remember or choose to represent "place." The absence of colour allows us to focus on the structural, and arguably the symbolic weight of the city itself. It presents the Riviera di Chiaia as both a living, breathing space and an archive of cultural memory. Editor: I see what you mean! It's like the photo itself becomes a symbol, holding a moment in time. Curator: Precisely. And that moment speaks volumes about the continuous negotiation between nature and progress, memory and modernity. Editor: That's really given me a new perspective. Thanks! Curator: My pleasure. It’s through shared observation that these old images can speak again.