Goodyera tesselata- Checkered Rattlesnake Plantain 1931

Editor: Here we have Edwin Hale Lincoln’s “Goodyera tesselata- Checkered Rattlesnake Plantain,” a gelatin silver print from 1931. It’s a simple image of delicate wildflowers, but something about its starkness feels very modern. What strikes you about this work? Curator: You know, what gets me is how the light teases out the textures. It's like Lincoln's not just capturing a flower, but almost whispering its secrets, right? He coaxes you to pause, to properly observe the world we carelessly speed through daily. The mundane blooms with whispered profundity. Doesn’t it almost make you wonder what he saw that we’re missing? Editor: I see what you mean about pausing. The sharp focus definitely makes me consider the plant more closely. Did botanical photography serve other purposes back then, like scientific illustration? Curator: Precisely! Think of Audubon, but with photography’s meticulousness. There's both art and science, swirling like gin and tonic, wouldn’t you say? It makes me question, does knowing the plant’s scientific name add to the photograph or detract? Editor: I suppose it provides a sort of grounding, almost like context to understand. It makes it part of the real world, and not just some beautiful picture. I wonder how we perceive these differently now than audiences did almost a century ago. Curator: That is such a fascinating point. Imagine viewing this during the Great Depression! Perhaps the ability to transform the common place with artistic intention could've offered a sense of beauty in austerity and reassurance. Beauty persists even within apparent simplicity! Editor: So interesting to think about its layered meaning and significance depending on when and where it's seen!