[Arch of Titus] 1853 - 1856

Jane Martha St. John made this photograph of the Arch of Titus in Rome sometime in the mid-19th century. It depicts a monument that was erected in antiquity to celebrate a military victory. By the 1800s, the Arch stood as a testament to the power of the Roman Empire, but it was also a ruin, much like the social structures of the Italian peninsula that had fractured into smaller states, many of which were controlled by foreign powers. What did it mean to photograph such a potent symbol of power in an era of political and social unrest? Photography emerged as a powerful technology and a means of documenting the world, but it also played a role in shaping perceptions of history and cultural identity. Photography created new visual codes, cultural references, and historical associations. Understanding the relationship between political events, social structures, and the media used to represent them, is crucial to understanding the nineteenth century. To more fully understand these connections, scholars consult a wide range of historical resources from political documents to popular culture.