West Front of Lichfield Cathedral, England c. 1860

Editor: This is George Washington Wilson's photograph of the "West Front of Lichfield Cathedral, England." It looks so imposing in black and white! What symbolic weight do you think this image might have carried for viewers at the time? Curator: Churches often serve as powerful symbols of cultural identity, promising spiritual and communal transcendence. How does Wilson’s emphasis on the cathedral’s sheer scale and intricate detailing tap into our collective memory of faith and societal order? Editor: It does feel designed to inspire awe. Curator: Precisely. The photograph not only captures a physical structure, but also transmits the values and beliefs embedded within that society’s psyche. Editor: I never thought about how architecture could reflect those deeper cultural values. Curator: Indeed, seeing how symbols in architecture are used helps us reflect on continuity and change within a culture.