Zuidelijke transept van de Kathedraal van York 1857 - 1863

Editor: This is a stereoscopic, or 3-D, photograph of the “Southern Transept of York Cathedral” dating from the late 1850s or early 1860s. The image has a haunting beauty; it's incredible to see the gothic architecture so sharply defined in such an old picture. What strikes you most when you look at it? Curator: Oh, it sends me spiraling back to that cathedral... it really is monumental, isn't it? In the early days of photography, these stereoscopic images were incredibly popular; little portals to far-off places! What I see is an attempt to grasp the ungraspable—the sheer scale of faith, history, and human ambition carved in stone. Did you know York Minster was built over centuries, a testament to changing architectural styles? It's like a geological record in glass and stone. What do you think someone from that era, viewing this through their stereoscope, might have felt? Editor: Maybe a sense of wonder, a peek into a world they couldn't easily access. Also a little dizzying, perhaps! To go back to your remark, do you see any specific elements, or features that illustrate such a 'geological' evolution across historical periods in the facade? Curator: The later gothic tracery, almost like frozen lace, is built on earlier, more solid Romanesque foundations. This tells the story, quite literally, of the ambitions and artistry piled atop of generations prior... Editor: That's fascinating, the frozen lace detail! I never thought about architecture holding such history. Curator: Art – and especially architecture – always speaks, doesn't it? Sometimes we just need to listen… or perhaps look a bit harder.