Westvleugel van de universiteit van Glasgow before 1891

Editor: Here we have what seems to be a page from a very old album. The artwork features a photographic print, titled "Westvleugel van de universiteit van Glasgow," which roughly translates to “West Wing of the University of Glasgow”. The work dates back to before 1891 and is by an anonymous photographer. It evokes a strong sense of history and, well, a touch of Victorian gloom perhaps? What captures your attention most about this print? Curator: That Victorian gloom is precisely it, isn't it? But let’s call it atmospheric, shall we? It almost feels like a gothic novel rendered in monochrome. The way the light plays across the stone – did you notice how the sharp angles contrast with the soft focus of the sky? It is dreamy, isn't it? And I find myself pondering the stories held within those walls. Can you imagine all the brilliant (and not-so-brilliant) minds that have passed through those halls? The hopes, the anxieties, the sheer intellectual energy... it is all trapped in the silver gelatin, isn’t it? Does it stir similar thoughts for you, or something completely different? Editor: I do get that sense of contained history, especially when looking at all the windows. It is an entire ecosystem encapsulated in stone, frozen by the photographer's lens. But it also makes me consider the people missing, or only inferred; they’re like ghosts inhabiting a solid structure. Do you think the print being in an album changes its context, makes it more intimate perhaps? Curator: Absolutely. It transforms it from a simple architectural document into something deeply personal. Imagine someone carefully placing this print into the album, carefully archiving their memories, their connection to this place, and to this magnificent monument to knowledge. Do you think they understood, as they carefully glued down the edges, the impact this photograph might have generations later, inspiring contemplation about history, memory and learning? Editor: It makes me want to start my own photo album! It seems like there’s more to photography than just what’s in the image, it is the memories *around* the image too. Thanks for this enlightening take!