Gezicht op vulkanische eilanden bij Mango before 1899

Editor: So, this albumen print is titled "Gezicht op vulkanische eilanden bij Mango," placing it before 1899, and it's attributed to W. McM. Woodworth. The way the coastline just *cuts* the frame—it's quite striking! What do you make of this photograph? Curator: It's essential to understand these images weren't simply objective records. Photography of colonized lands, such as Fiji, often served to reinforce Western power structures and ideas of exoticism. What narrative is being constructed here through the seemingly neutral lens of landscape? Consider how it might cater to, or even shape, Western perceptions of the Pacific. Editor: That's fascinating; I hadn’t thought of that. It feels like a pretty objective shot. How can you tell? Curator: Think about the angle, the framing, what's emphasized and what's omitted. What story do you think the photographer is trying to tell with the title itself, or even the decision to include it in an album marketed to a Western audience? Who are the islands for, and what relationship do they create? Editor: So the framing creates distance, almost like a detached observation...It makes me think about how Indigenous populations were represented – or, more accurately, *not* represented – in these types of landscapes. It makes sense to read it as a colonial gaze. Curator: Exactly! And that awareness helps us to see these images not as passive reflections but as active participants in the colonial project. They're not just about *seeing* the islands, but about *possessing* them, visually and ideologically. Editor: That is so eye-opening. It gives me so much to think about concerning the hidden politics of seemingly simple landscape photography. Thank you! Curator: Of course! It's vital to continually question whose voices are amplified and whose are silenced, even within something as seemingly straightforward as a landscape.