Gezicht op Edinburgh vanaf Calton Hill c. 1870 - 1890

James Valentine captured this photograph, "Gezicht op Edinburgh vanaf Calton Hill" using a printing out paper. Valentine’s work coincides with significant shifts in Scottish society, as industrialization, urbanization, and empire-building were in full effect. In the photograph, we see a city that’s literally built upon the past, crowned by the omnipresent Edinburgh Castle, a symbol of Scottish resilience. Valentine presents a composition that invites you to consider how urban planning intertwines with social stratification. The view from Calton Hill, a popular spot also known as "Athens of the North," suggests an aspiration to classical ideals amid the gritty realities of 19th-century urban life. Ultimately, Valentine asks us to reflect on the narratives we construct about places, the histories we choose to monumentalize, and the stories we often leave untold.