Carte photographique de la lune, planche XXIV (Photographic Chart of the Moon, plate XXIV) Possibly 1908 - 1914

Curator: What a stark, almost tactile landscape. It’s unsettling, yet beautiful in its detail. Editor: This is “Carte photographique de la lune, planche XXIV” by Charles Le Morvan, likely created sometime between 1908 and 1914. It's a photographic print of the moon's surface. Looking at the grain and contrast here I wonder about the technologies Le Morvan might have had access to for its making? Curator: I am fascinated by the almost immediate cultural adoption of the Moon as a symbolic icon. It is an ever-changing shape in the sky. Throughout human history it has had myriad significations; lunacy, femininity, tides. These lunar landscapes were an uncanny reflection back onto terrestrial concerns. Editor: Exactly. This work really makes one consider what went into capturing such a crisp image so early in photographic history. I can’t help but think of the labor involved; long exposures, potentially difficult conditions in the observatory…The material conditions really add to our experience of the print. The sharp contrast is amazing too! What does the image evoke for you, in its symbolism? Curator: The stark contrast creates an undeniable sense of otherness. These lunar images from the early 20th century quickly became symbols of scientific progress and even spurred dreams of space travel. Yet at the same time, its desolate nature brings an inevitable awareness of existential isolation; a common theme through all those mythologies of the Moon, which feels remarkably potent even today. Editor: I appreciate you grounding the photograph in its larger, cross cultural implications! Knowing what we now know about the moon--and the processes that yield images, both technological and human--really makes one meditate on this photograph and its role. Curator: Ultimately, images like this make one wonder how our dreams get materialised in science and in the history of their cultural representation, to impact our awareness. Editor: Indeed. Looking at this plate from "Carte photographique de la lune", one can appreciate both the technical processes that gave it form and the greater cultural contexts surrounding lunar exploration.