Untitled ("Arched iceberg in Melville Bay") 1869

Editor: Here we have an untitled photograph by John L. Dunmore, depicting an arched iceberg in Melville Bay. The sepia tones create a rather somber mood. What sociopolitical statements might Dunmore be trying to make? Curator: Given the context of exploration and resource extraction during that era, consider how this image might romanticize and thus normalize the colonial gaze upon untouched landscapes. Does it invite contemplation or exploitation? Editor: I see your point. It's easy to get lost in the beauty, but the photograph also hints at vulnerability. Curator: Precisely. The iceberg, seemingly monumental, is also melting, fragile. How might this relate to contemporary issues of climate change and its disproportionate impact on marginalized communities? Editor: That gives me a lot to think about. The photo's inherent beauty masks some complicated truths. Curator: Exactly. It’s about interrogating those tensions.