Brug over een vijver in de Palmentuin van Frankfurt after 1871

Curator: Before us is Johann Friedrich Stiehm’s albumen print, “Bridge Over a Pond in the Palm Garden of Frankfurt,” taken sometime after 1871. Editor: It’s lovely. Dreamlike, almost. The light is so soft; the bridge nearly dissolves into the foliage. Curator: Indeed. Stiehm's choice of the albumen print, a process popular for its ability to render fine detail, contributes to this almost ethereal quality. Look at the subtle gradations of tone and the texture of the aged paper itself. We should note that pictorialism had a hold during this time as well, further softening the definition in this photograph, while blurring the lines between photography and fine art. Editor: Right, it certainly avoids the sharp, clinical detail of, say, documentary photography. The formal composition directs the eye smoothly across the scene. The symmetry, the subtle repetition of the trees mirrored in the water, create a satisfying visual harmony. And the monochrome palette unifies the scene so well. Curator: Absolutely. Think, too, about the social context. Photography offered new ways to both document and disseminate imagery and was far more egalitarian than paintings at the time. Landscape images of parks like this, therefore, offered more people a visual way to think about nature and civic planning, and their own potential role in it. Editor: I see what you mean. And yet, despite the clear social implications for the Palm Garden, what truly captivates me are the nuanced visual relationships – the way the light drapes itself over the scene and lends it a tranquil, almost melancholic quality. This quality transcends its function as a record. Curator: I appreciate your focus on the pure aesthetics. For me, understanding the historical production of images such as this connects it to labour, science, and a very real moment in German history. Editor: It’s funny how two people can see the same image and yet focus on entirely different facets of it. Curator: Isn't it? I think Stiehm would be happy that it generates this much excitement over 100 years later.