Tropical Scenery, Street, Chipigana 1871

Editor: This gelatin silver print from 1871, "Tropical Scenery, Street, Chipigana" by John Moran, captures a row of houses with striking thatched roofs. The monochromatic palette and the almost documentary style gives it a sense of realism. What's interesting is its location in the Met collection. How do you interpret this work through a historical lens? Curator: That's a great starting point. What strikes me is the term “Tropical Scenery” itself. It tells us something about how Western audiences were encouraged to see these places at the time: as exotic and picturesque scenery, not necessarily complex social spaces. Given the context of the late 19th century, this photograph contributes to the larger discourse of colonialism and the Western gaze. Editor: So, the title frames our perception? Curator: Precisely. It also encourages us to consider the power dynamics at play. Who is taking the picture, and for what purpose? What does the photographer choose to include, and what is left out? Moran presents a view of Chipigana which likely reinforced pre-existing notions about the tropics for a European and American viewership. It's important to ask ourselves how such images were used to justify colonial ventures. Editor: That's a powerful perspective. It changes how I see the photograph; from a simple scene to a potentially loaded historical document. I never would have thought about it that way. Curator: Thinking about it that way pushes us to consider the implications and the historical circumstances in which such work was made, distributed, and interpreted by different publics. Editor: Thank you. It's like unlocking a whole new level of understanding by considering its social context.