Sausalito from the N.P.C.R.R. Wharf, Looking South 1866 - 1870

Editor: So, this is “Sausalito from the N.P.C.R.R. Wharf, Looking South” by Eadweard Muybridge, created sometime between 1866 and 1870. It’s a gelatin silver print. I’m struck by how tangible the wooden wharf feels. What's your take on it? Curator: It’s fascinating to consider the photograph itself as a material object. Think about the labour involved: the logging, milling, and transport of those wharf planks, the silver mining needed for the photographic emulsion… Then you have Muybridge, a canny entrepreneur. How did the growth of railroads and steamships spur not just travel, but a market for these images? Editor: So, the photograph isn’t just representing a scene, but also embedded in networks of production and consumption? Curator: Exactly! This isn’t just a pretty landscape; it’s evidence of a rapidly industrializing California. The silver print itself embodies that material progress. The building of the wharf itself extracted lumber and employed low wage laborers; the technology required for the photography employed others. Who benefitted most from this industrial expansion depicted here? Editor: I see your point. It almost makes the lone figure on the wharf seem like a small part of something much larger, like a cog in the machine. Curator: Precisely. And the way Muybridge captures light and shadow, almost romanticizing the scene, obscures the messy realities of resource extraction and labour exploitation. Think about who owned those ships and buildings! How does Muybridge's work promote or question those power structures? Editor: That shifts my perspective. I was initially focused on the aesthetic appeal, but now I'm considering the economic forces that made it possible. Thanks for pointing that out! Curator: And thank you! Analyzing art through a material lens can reveal a whole world of hidden histories and social relationships.