Sauce Dish 1870 - 1880

Curator: It has an almost crystalline feel, doesn't it? The play of light seems central to the object's being. Editor: Precisely! This photograph features a pressed glass sauce dish, created by Adams and Company sometime between 1870 and 1880. The image itself highlights the object's form and material. Curator: The repeating spherical pattern really draws the eye, and its grayscale amplifies the interplay of light and shadow. Editor: Yes, the image relies on stark contrasts to create a dynamic visual experience. This kind of homeware reflects the burgeoning consumer culture of the late 19th century United States, as everyday life came increasingly adorned with fashionable pieces. It makes me think about who the manufacturer and buyer are in this equation and the aspirations embedded in the marketplace. Curator: Right. It also encourages a tactile awareness through visual means alone. The bubbles invite touch, yet we can only experience their texture virtually. The photographer composed this macro photo to highlight form rather than context. Editor: These pieces held social currency, too, implying status, and participation in a rapidly developing industrial economy. Photography, newly ascendant, could amplify its mass appeal. The lack of color draws us back, perhaps, to question the photograph itself as an object of material culture. Curator: The visual evidence then emphasizes form over the practical functionality implied by "sauce dish". Editor: Indeed! So, on the one hand, it's this relatively straightforward image, and on the other, a powerful symbol of consumerism at its start. A moment frozen. Curator: A good way to summarize it. Thank you. Editor: Thanks to you too!