Seamanship-model-room before 1890

Editor: This is "Seamanship-model-room," a gelatin silver print taken before 1890 by Edward H. Hart. It depicts a room filled with model ships. There is a kind of stillness to it, even though I can imagine the hands that crafted all those models, and their individual histories. What jumps out at you? Curator: What fascinates me are the means of production and consumption intertwined here. Consider the labor invested in both shipbuilding, reflected in miniature, and the photographic process itself. These models are not simply decorative; they represent accumulated knowledge, skill, and, frankly, imperial ambition. The gelatin silver print process, how does that play into our understanding? Editor: It was a relatively new technology at the time, wasn't it? More accessible than earlier photographic methods? Curator: Precisely! It allowed for mass reproduction and dissemination of images, impacting how knowledge and imagery circulated. The photographic medium, as much as the ships themselves, speaks to industrial progress and societal shifts. The 'realism' of photography made visible the unseen, in this case, the interior of learning or industry dedicated to maritime pursuits. Notice how that realism is employed? Editor: I do. There are repetitive shapes and industrial aesthetics. The print isn't traditionally beautiful. But these photographs of maritime objects documented, recorded, and possibly celebrated those objects and their production at the time. Is that accurate? Curator: Precisely. I wonder, then, what narratives about craft or national pride may be constructed through display? And more specifically, what class of people would have viewed or acquired Hart's photographs? How might the meaning be affected by distribution methods of photographs versus physical ships? Editor: So by analyzing the materials, and production, we start to understand the deeper cultural context. I appreciate that a new lens has illuminated new themes in this work for me! Curator: Indeed!