Untitled (three workers and two yoked cattle working at a waterwheel or a mill) c. 1860 - 1880

Curator: This photograph, taken by Willoughby Wallace Hooper, presents us with a candid view of labor in what appears to be South Asia. I’m particularly drawn to the way the light etches the details of the water wheel and the yoked cattle. What’s your immediate take? Editor: My eye goes straight to the materiality. Look at the rough-hewn wood, the roughly mortared stone of the wheel. You can almost feel the grit and strain of this technology. Curator: It’s true, isn’t it? You feel that strain, that effort. Hooper’s photograph, though small, it’s only about 4 by 5 inches, speaks volumes about human ingenuity and the relationship to the land. Editor: And the power dynamics at play. Those yoked cattle, the laborers—it really emphasizes the means of production, the relationship between humans, animals, and their environment in producing something tangible. Curator: Yes, there's a certain beauty in the way the composition directs our gaze, from the turning wheel to the workers, almost like a dance. I feel a strange sense of calm amidst the toil. Editor: I agree, that’s so interesting. It’s a testament to how even utilitarian objects and processes can be imbued with a powerful sense of humanity.