Poortgebouw van de universiteit van Glasgow before 1891

Curator: Here we have "Poortgebouw van de universiteit van Glasgow," an albumen print from before 1891 by an anonymous artist, likely part of a larger collection documenting the city's architecture. What catches your eye, Editor? Editor: Hmm, well first off, it’s so still! Like a perfectly frozen moment. The whole scene has this slightly unreal quality, like a dream you half-remember, but grounded in real architecture and city planning. Does that make any sense? Curator: Absolutely. Albumen prints, especially those documenting architecture, served a very specific purpose. Beyond aesthetic appreciation, these images functioned as tools for urban planning and civic identity building during a time of rapid industrial growth. This wasn't just a snapshot; it was a visual record meant to communicate progress and instill civic pride. Editor: I get that. Still, that light is making me feel sentimental... kind of nostalgic, even if I have never stepped foot there, a past that I can feel. Curator: Consider then how photography was becoming instrumental in creating collective memories. This print allowed people to engage with architectural icons, like the University of Glasgow's gateway, constructing shared narratives around place and progress. Also how the albumen print became increasingly used across multiple books and publications as photography was advancing in Scotland. Editor: I can almost smell the old stone... There's a kind of reverence that bleeds through. Curator: Yes, photography has always been entangled with both realism and representation. The albumen print, with its delicate tonalities, aimed to immortalize structures in a manner accessible to broader society. Editor: Almost like enshrining a place... It gives this building such stature, it is powerful... well this particular frame is quite amazing if I have to be honest, really makes one feel small within the bigger picture. Curator: It indeed immortalizes. Now I find myself musing how deeply entwined visual media becomes with constructing and perpetuating urban identity. Editor: A thought that echoes as we witness this photograph here in this space, quite the moment, indeed.