Boylston Hall c. 1858

Editor: Here we have John Adams Whipple's photograph, "Boylston Hall." The sepia tones give it a timeless feel, almost like a memory. What do you see in this piece, beyond just a building? Curator: I see a potent symbol of institutional power, framed by the bare trees, hinting at a certain vulnerability. It makes me consider who had access to knowledge, to education, during the time this photograph was taken and who was excluded. What stories are not being told here? Editor: That's a perspective I hadn't considered. It definitely shifts the focus from the architecture itself to the socio-political context. Curator: Exactly. And doesn't that reframing encourage us to question the legacies of these institutions today? Editor: Absolutely. I'll never look at an old building the same way again. Curator: Hopefully not. These buildings are cultural artifacts that reflect societal values and power structures.