Full Moon c. 1865

Curator: John Payson Soule’s "Full Moon" presents us with a stark, almost clinical view of our celestial neighbor. Editor: It’s compelling, yet feels strangely detached. I immediately think of the moon’s connection to cycles of femininity and the occult, but the photographic treatment distances it from that. Curator: Absolutely. The scientific gaze of the era – whenever this photograph was taken – aimed to dissect and understand, often overlooking the cultural weight the moon held, especially for marginalized communities. Editor: Exactly. Throughout history, the moon has represented so much more than just a celestial body. Its cycles have been linked to fertility, madness, and the tides. In this image, that symbolism seems intentionally muted. Curator: The act of photographing it, however, also speaks to human ambition and technological prowess, reflecting a desire to conquer the unknown. Editor: True, and it’s that tension between objective observation and the moon’s rich symbolic history that I find so compelling. Curator: A perfect intersection of science and enduring cultural significance, perhaps. Editor: Precisely, revealing how even what seems purely scientific is embedded in cultural narratives.