Kärnthnerstraβe No. 59, Zinshaus des Herrn Sam Maeir c. 1860s

Editor: Here we have an interesting print from the 1860s titled "Kärnthnerstraße No. 59, Zinshaus des Herrn Sam Maeir." It's made from silver using the daguerreotype process to create a photograph. What immediately strikes me is how the photo captures such a detailed slice of urban life. How do you interpret this work? Curator: Well, considering the materiality of the daguerreotype – that highly polished silver-plated copper – it’s crucial to acknowledge how that surface itself becomes part of the reading. The process demanded precision and unique handling; it wasn't just about pointing a lens. Think of the labor involved in preparing that plate, then in setting up the shot itself, and, of course, the developing. Notice how the built environment around Sam Maeir reflects not only affluence but a specific relationship to labor and industry during that time? Editor: That's a perspective I hadn’t considered, the labor and the making of it all. So, looking at the buildings, are you saying their very presence signifies a specific social and economic structure of labor? Curator: Precisely. These aren't simply buildings; they’re manifestations of industrial capital, from the mining of the silver for the image itself, to the construction of those buildings which provided housing for the working class or spaces for new commercial efforts, that the silver captures. Consider how these resources would have been mined and shipped for processing and manufacture. In that way, doesn’t the photograph offer an implicit critique about social division? Editor: I guess it does. I was initially drawn to its historical context and visual style, but understanding the material processes and economic context really adds another layer of significance. Thank you for helping me think about the impact that the materials and modes of production had at that time! Curator: My pleasure! By focusing on the materiality, we understand how the silver image, in effect, testifies to Vienna's rapid social changes.