Untitled (Lebanon, N.H.) n.d.

Editor: So, this photograph, simply called "Untitled (Lebanon, N.H.)," comes to us courtesy of Billings & Hough. The exact date is unknown, but we're estimating it to be from the 19th century. It definitely strikes me as a classic slice of Americana, though somewhat obscured. What do you make of it? Curator: Obscured, yes, yet wonderfully revealed, simultaneously. See how the lens seems to struggle with the leaves, almost swallowing the architecture, yet, this gives way to this curious moment of life at the front. Doesn’t it remind you of the blurred boundaries we create in our memories of childhood? Like trying to recall that old house we grew up in, but the trees always seem larger, and the light, well, the light's never quite right. What do you imagine these figures in the front may represent? Editor: I suppose they’re the inhabitants, making it their place in the world. Like saying, "we were here". Curator: Precisely! Almost posing for posterity, which gives it such a human intimacy despite the lens separating us by so many years. A tangible connection between their yesterdays and our now. Editor: The lack of stark clarity really changes the perspective and mood. Curator: Agreed, almost impressionistic, although rooted firmly in realism. Capturing a feeling as much as an image. It's like they wanted to preserve a memory rather than create a perfectly clinical record, revealing vulnerability. Editor: So, more than just a landscape, a shared sentiment then. I find this interesting! Curator: Indeed, this simple landscape suddenly feels richer now.