[Untitled] 1869

Curator: Here we have an untitled photograph by John Thomson, created around 1869, now residing here at the Metropolitan Museum. A real slice of history. Editor: My first thought is about this massive dark wall, dwarfing all those men sitting in front. There’s an oppressive feel, yet they seem so relaxed despite it. Curator: Indeed. It is quite a visual contrast. This photograph captures a group of men, likely involved in some sporting or official capacity. Given Thomson's focus on documenting 19th-century China, we see elements of colonial representation. The white clothing, facial hair styles – all very loaded symbols. Editor: Those details speak to a complex story, indeed. White as a symbol of superiority but what game where these men playing here? The details like the relaxed postures contrast the backdrop, so imposing and alien. Is it the architecture they erected or took over that gives the cultural meaning. I would like to hear that the visual choices here, in terms of setting and the arrangement of figures. Were they strategic in any way? Curator: It's fascinating to consider what was in the photographer's mind when he used wet plate collodion. With these materials he carefully arranges these men, controlling what aspects and what features get memorialized through photography. How is class presented? Who are his desired consumers and in what locations is this work found in this day? Editor: Absolutely, and let's not forget the enduring power of photographic portraiture, in that it still holds to tell some underlying, visual story to be considered in the time after the event and the time in the picture has long passed. The repetition of hats and beards can serve, almost like a military uniformity – while each man distinctly maintains the features. The details are what make each, but altogether, what kind of event could they possibly be a part of. Curator: Examining this photograph today pushes us to interrogate both Thomson’s intentions and our own present-day consumption. As it gives so much to discover to people looking forward. Editor: A photo, not merely as document, but a collection of symbolic choices rippling through history. It is a great chance for both remembering and speculation to collide for some unknown memory to occur.