Exterieur van de Kathedraal van Straatsburg 1877

Editor: This is “Exterieur van de Kathedraal van Straatsburg,” a gelatin silver print by Sophus Williams from 1877. I’m immediately struck by its photorealistic quality, but it feels almost… distant? Like peering into a memory of this imposing cathedral. What do you see in this photograph? Curator: I see echoes. The Strasbourg Cathedral, captured here, becomes a vessel brimming with symbolic weight. Consider the cathedral itself - for centuries it has been a towering statement of faith, authority, and the collective spirit of a community. Editor: That’s a great point. So the photograph captures not just a building, but all the things it stands for? Curator: Exactly. And the act of photographing it in 1877 adds another layer. Photography was still relatively new then. Think of how potent an image like this would be. It allows people, then and now, to have tangible access to the grandeur and spiritual gravity associated with religious iconography. Doesn't the seemingly neutral act of photographing, reduce the power? Does photography help or hurt that weight over time? Editor: That’s fascinating, I never thought of the photo as adding another layer to its cultural impact. Curator: Photography created access while risking authenticity through reproduction and proliferation. What emotional response did it create when this piece was made? What happens when someone now sees the piece? Editor: Now I'm seeing more layers than I originally imagined, and have so many questions. Thank you for opening up this artwork for me! Curator: And thank you for making me reconsider photography’s complicated impact on cultural memory.