Gezicht op Poet's Corner in Manchester before 1878

Editor: So, here we have Alfred Brothers’ “Gezicht op Poet's Corner in Manchester,” which I believe dates to before 1878. It’s an albumen print, a photographic process of the time, and depicts a street scene. What strikes me is how much the materiality of the print—the slightly faded tones, the texture—contributes to its historical feeling. What do you see in this piece? Curator: I am drawn to the material reality of the city captured in this albumen print. Notice the layering of textures – the rough stone of the buildings, the smooth sheen of the road, the way light reflects off various surfaces. What was the cost of this building? Whose labor constructed this corner of Manchester? Editor: That's a good point! The image itself hides the working class that built the town. It only presents the buildings, a facade, which gives it an elite feeling. Curator: Exactly! The photographic process itself – the collodion wet plate, the darkroom practices – became a means to document and, therefore, possess the changing urban landscape. Also consider, who commissioned this photograph and what was the distribution method? Were these mass produced postcards for consumption? Was it used to document property? These factors heavily impacted the purpose of the image. Editor: So it’s not just *what* is depicted but *how* and *why*. It feels like the very act of photography here is about the material realities and power structures of Victorian Manchester. I initially saw it as simply a historical photograph, but you’ve made me realize how much the material and production contexts matter. Curator: And hopefully you'll carry this further to considering the laborers behind the production of these photographic images! Think about the photographic assistants, the printers, the darkroom workers all integral to this industry. Editor: Definitely! It's made me think about how art is never created in a vacuum.