["Mitchell's Pass and Breede river", 'Natal-Entrance to Maritzburg'] before 1880

Editor: So, this is an albumen print from before 1880 by Sam Alexander, titled 'Mitchell's Pass and Breede river' and 'Natal-Entrance to Maritzburg'. It's interesting how these early photographs present a sort of controlled, almost staged view of the landscape. What do you see here, beyond the immediate landscapes? Curator: Beyond the serene rivers and pathways? Well, the albumen print gives the scene an ethereal quality, like a memory fading at the edges. I find myself thinking about the stories these landscapes could tell. It’s almost dreamlike. They also make me ponder what it was like to cart equipment like that around...it had to be an intentional, studied practice. Makes the casual snap of today seem, well, casual. Do these photos evoke a sense of the past for you, a story waiting to be told? Editor: Definitely! I get a strong sense of history. But they also feel...removed. Like we're looking at a diorama instead of a real place. Curator: Precisely! And isn’t that the photographer’s trick, really? Alexander offers a viewpoint. It’s curated, much like how we decide to highlight specific parts of history while editing others out. It’s interesting how perspective can alter how we reflect and interact with memory, both individually and collectively. If we aren't cautious about perspective, the view offered to the many is a limited reality that has far reaching consequences. Do you think we're trapped by perspective or set free by its interpretive potential? Editor: That's a really interesting question! I think both. Perspective is definitely liberating, and it encourages thought, but it requires a critical analysis of how limited it may be, and what might be intentionally unseen. Curator: Beautifully put. So, perhaps, we can appreciate Alexander’s landscapes not just as historical records but as invitations to question what we think we know. Every image holds many perspectives. Editor: Exactly! Thanks; I never thought of it that way. Curator: It has been my pleasure!