Amagertorv in Kopenhagen 1873 - 1890

Curator: This is Vilhelm Tillge’s albumen print, "Amagertorv in Kopenhagen," placing us somewhere between 1873 and 1890. It’s a cityscape, a real slice of life. Editor: My initial feeling is quiet grandeur, despite the bustle. The buildings loom, casting subtle shadows. It's a stage for everyday dramas, frozen in sepia. Curator: It really encapsulates that sense of historical presence. Notice how Tillge utilizes the albumen process; that sepia tone you mention almost acts as a veil, lending the scene a timeless quality, while still very much marking it as past. Consider the social impact too. Editor: Absolutely. I’m immediately drawn to the material conditions, though. Those horse-drawn carriages lined up – they signify a certain level of commerce, of societal function, the literal horsepower that drives a city. The albumen process itself speaks of deliberate craft and its reliance on very specific chemical compounds. Curator: Good point. Think of albumen's symbolic load: the light and shadows seem to solidify social strata; buildings become characters themselves, echoing their inhabitants. This meticulous capturing of urban life speaks volumes. Editor: The materiality definitely underpins this idea. Albumen printing wasn’t necessarily accessible to everyone. It required skill, resources. This wasn't just capturing a street; it was carefully constructing an image, potentially with a particular view of Copenhagen society in mind, filtered through the technology of its time. Who got to control that vision? Curator: A complex interaction, indeed, shaping perception. I find myself captivated by the way that the composition directs our gaze toward the horizon line. Are we supposed to see endless progress or a deep-seated status quo? Editor: Progress, but controlled. I find it less of a window to history and more like a manufactured historical moment designed for specific consumption. Considering the material invested, was the target consumer domestic or international? Souvenir, perhaps? Curator: Yes, food for thought – both the seen and unseen forces in constructing and conveying reality, then and now. Editor: Definitely gives a lot to chew on. Looking at this reminds me to keep questioning whose version of the past we are holding.