View from Hotel Algonquin, New York 1936

Editor: This gelatin silver print, "View from Hotel Algonquin, New York," was captured by Ilse Bing in 1936. I’m struck by how the various skyscrapers crowd together, creating this dense, almost oppressive feeling. What stands out to you? Curator: The materiality of the gelatin silver print is significant. Consider how Bing used the medium to depict urban life, a product of mass production and industrialization. The buildings themselves—their construction, the materials used—speak to labor and capital. What can we infer about the consumption of resources required to erect such monumental structures? Editor: So you’re saying that even the choice of photography, especially using gelatin silver, is tied to the social and economic context of the time? Curator: Precisely. Gelatin silver prints became a relatively accessible and standardized photographic process. Bing's use of it aligns with a desire to document and engage with the changing urban environment. How might the perspective from the Hotel Algonquin, a known gathering place for literary figures, further inform our reading of the image? Editor: I see what you mean. Viewing this cityscape from within that specific social hub frames it, maybe as both celebration and critique. The raw materials and their use were both literally shaping the landscape, and figuratively, society itself. Curator: Exactly. We can then reflect on our own relationship with the built environment today, and the continuous cycles of construction and consumption that shape our world. Editor: I hadn’t considered that connection before, thank you for sharing your perspective! It has really transformed my appreciation for this piece. Curator: Indeed. By investigating materials, methods and settings, art becomes a mirror reflecting social contexts and power.