Fotomontage van de imaginaire stad Silent City in Alaska before 1890

Curator: This is a fascinating collotype from before 1890. It's called "Fotomontage van de imaginaire stad Silent City in Alaska", and appears as an illustration within a book. What are your initial thoughts? Editor: The ghostly greyscale images against the antique page give the piece an otherworldly atmosphere. I'm immediately drawn to the stark contrast between the naturalistic scene on the left and that... dreamscape, perhaps, of the Silent City on the right. Curator: It's striking, isn't it? The left image depicts a photographic mirage of Muir Glacier seen from Glacier Bay, while the right presents the eponymous imaginary city. It taps into a wider trend from the late 19th century to visually document far away, exotic places through photography in book illustrations, and what kind of messages this delivered to a general public. Editor: That natural scene certainly holds a powerful symbol. The mirage effect adds layers of meaning. Reflections can be potent images of delusion and desire, but also prophecy or visions of something greater that exists elsewhere, unseen. Do you see the dream of empire echoed here, maybe, in these juxtaposed photographs? Curator: Possibly, yes, reflecting America’s imperial and industrial ambitions as manifested in its territories, perhaps even promising prosperity through visualizing landscape, settlement and commerce, as was the way through the exploitation of Alaska. It prompts reflection on how constructed images fuel expansionist agendas. The textual element on the right even alludes to tales of fantastical journeys to the unfamiliar unknown to the readers of the book. Editor: It also hints at the vulnerability of human perception; how easily we’re persuaded by imagery. The mirage—the illusion of stability imposed upon something ultimately unfixed – and I would say the collage form plays into this wonderfully as well. A dream for certain to be desired for. It challenges what it means to document a reality that shifts and eludes understanding, through a series of printed documents. Curator: The piece acts almost as a warning. The seductive, promise, but perhaps empty heart, of a territory only reached by believing the stories, and consuming the products of exploitation and capitalism? The "Silent City" suddenly takes on new meanings as it contrasts that initial image of an arctic vision. Editor: A silent and watchful city indeed. The collage has made me think about not just our perception of landscape and dreams but also to wonder what lies beneath the stories we are told to believe. Curator: A fitting sentiment as we pause our journey with it. Thank you. Editor: Thank you.