[Mosque at Sultaniye] 1840 - 1869

Luigi Pesce captured this image of the Mosque at Sultaniye using a photographic process that was still relatively new. Photography, like other industrial processes, abstracts labor. But here, the subject of the photo reminds us of the slow, skilled work involved in building architecture. The very texture of the brick is highlighted. Think about all that went into the original construction: the extraction of clay, its firing into bricks, the shaping of those bricks into a monumental form. And remember, all this labor was undertaken within a particular social and political context, with hierarchies of skill and power determining who did what, and for what compensation. Consider, too, the labor involved in documenting such an undertaking. Photographers were part of a colonial network, recording the material culture of places far from home. In doing so, they transformed vernacular objects and architecture into images, ready for consumption in the West. Ultimately, this photograph is not just a record, but an encounter between cultures and modes of production.