Mount of Olives and Al-Aqsa Mosque, Jerusalem 1857

Curator: This is "Mount of Olives and Al-Aqsa Mosque, Jerusalem," a photographic print by Robertson and Beato. It captures a stark view of the city. Editor: The walls are so prominent—it’s a study in texture, the rough-hewn stone under that dome. You can almost feel the heat radiating off the materials. Curator: Indeed, the walls speak to layers of sociopolitical control and religious power dynamics. The gaze is mediated. Who is allowed in, who is kept out? Editor: And how was this image made? Think about the collodion process, the labor in preparing the plates, the transport… Curator: Exactly, the very act of photographing this place carries its own colonial weight. We cannot ignore the historical context. Editor: A stark reminder of how intertwined materiality and power truly are. It’s more than just the view; it's the making.