Zuil van graniet uit Cornish op de Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nations van 1851 in Londen voor het Crystal Palace 1851

Editor: Here we have a photographic print from 1851, titled "Zuil van graniet uit Cornish op de Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nations van 1851 in Londen voor het Crystal Palace," presumably by Hugh Owen. It features a massive column in front of the Crystal Palace. The image is so evocative, really capturing the industrial ambition of the era. How do you interpret this work in the context of its time? Curator: I see this photograph as a potent symbol of 19th-century British imperialism and industrial prowess. The Great Exhibition itself was a carefully orchestrated display of global resources and manufactured goods, reinforcing Britain's position at the centre of a vast empire. Editor: So the column… it’s not *just* a column? Curator: Precisely. The column, crafted from Cornish granite, represents the exploitation of natural resources. Think about the labour practices, the environmental impact of quarrying, and who benefitted most from these activities. The very act of transporting this massive object to the Crystal Palace was a demonstration of engineering and logistical power. The Crystal Palace was initially seen as a structure of peace. Do you still think it evokes the same feeling after what I have mentioned? Editor: I do see that perspective. I suppose it’s difficult, as a 21st-century viewer, to separate the aesthetic achievement from the socio-political realities that underpinned its creation. I hadn't considered how deeply embedded colonial power was within this spectacle of industry. It’s quite thought-provoking. Curator: It also prompts a deeper look at who was absent. Where are the voices of the colonised? What perspectives were deliberately excluded from this triumphant narrative of progress? By questioning whose stories are being told – and whose are not – we can begin to deconstruct the power dynamics embedded within this photograph and its historical context. Editor: Thanks, I am never going to see a photo the same way again. Curator: Indeed, this is just the start!