George Martin Lane (1823-1897), University Professor of Latin, Harvard University c. 1858

Curator: This is a portrait of George Martin Lane, a Latin professor at Harvard, captured by John Adams Whipple. Editor: It has a somewhat severe, yet thoughtful cast. The oval frame and sepia tones lend it an antique solemnity. Curator: Indeed. Whipple was an innovator in early photography. This portrait would have held significant social value, documenting an academic figure. Editor: I wonder about the symbolism implicit in portraying educators. Does this image convey intellectual authority, or perhaps a longing for the classical past through Lane’s profession? Curator: Perhaps both, and its impact might also reflect the changing role of universities and the rise of intellectualism in public life at the time. Editor: It does give one pause to reflect on the enduring power of images to communicate and shape perceptions of individuals and institutions.