Gezicht op een brug in Hønefoss, Noorwegen 1865 - 1870

Editor: Here we have "View of a Bridge in Hønefoss, Norway", taken between 1865 and 1870 by Per Adolf Thorén, using a gelatin silver print, presented as a stereoscopic card. I'm struck by the dynamism; the water looks almost alive in the photograph. What grabs you when you look at it? Curator: Alive, exactly! It’s less a capture and more an evocation. For me, I'm captivated by the tension Thorén creates between the untamed, roaring river and the rather rigid, man-made bridge. Notice how the bridge is almost engulfed by the churning water; there's a humbling of human intervention by the force of nature. What do you make of the doubled perspective in this stereoscopic form? Editor: I suppose it intensifies that sense of being present, almost immersed in the scene? Is that something that would have been a conscious decision at the time, given the relatively new medium? Curator: Absolutely. Early photography was often about replicating, and even amplifying, the experience of ‘being there.’ Think of it as a Victorian-era VR headset. Thorén’s choice encourages a visceral, almost romantic, response to the Norwegian landscape. Do you think that bridge, which might have symbolized progress or connection, seems dwarfed, insignificant even? Editor: Now that you mention it, definitely. I was so focused on the water itself. Curator: Exactly! The power of nature reclaiming a tiny portion. Editor: I never considered that perspective before. Thanks, that's been a splash of insight! Curator: The best art always changes our view, doesn't it? It was an immersive joy, let's say.