Gezicht op de Pont Saint-Louis te Menton before 1862

Curator: This is an albumen print, a photograph really, taken before 1862 by Louis-Alphonse Davanne. It's titled "View of the Pont Saint-Louis in Menton." Editor: My first impression is one of striking verticality and compression; that bridge feels squeezed, doesn't it? The scale is so deceiving until you realize that bridge is dwarfed by monumental rocks. Curator: The choice of the albumen process gives the print a certain tonal richness and depth, wouldn’t you agree? The gradations between light and shadow emphasize the sheer mass of the cliffs around the bridge, its textural qualities almost palpable. Editor: Yes, and this pre-industrial bridge is situated on the border, that feels symbolic in itself. I get the feeling of transition, a boundary being crossed or linked – an invitation from one place to another. Pont Saint-Louis sounds… well, holy, with a slightly sinister feel – those looming rock formations convey something solemn and untamed. Curator: Intrepretations of names aside, it functions visually to cut into two clear but related parts. On the upper segment, we find only stone and flora, unblemished, above that built, level plane. A separation between domains. The material realities that underpin human aspiration! Editor: Well, aspirations always bump into nature, or some material reality. That span acts as more than just architecture to me; bridges connect past and future and symbolize safe passage. But in Davanne's image, this safe passage sits under these towering rock faces—reminding you of the immense, raw, overpowering forces of nature itself. Perhaps nature will remain as a symbol that outlives this progress, the past’s imprint on the now and future! Curator: Very good, and consider how it prompts us to reassess perspective, light, and substance when captured through photography's emerging gaze at that time. In short, the formal elements create narrative. Editor: Yes, a poignant story emerges; I feel a slight disquiet despite its overt beauty and compositional ingenuity. It feels melancholic and imposing all the same.