The Dexter elm, Malden before 1890

Editor: This gelatin-silver print, titled "The Dexter Elm, Malden," was taken by Henry Brooks before 1890. The size of the tree is really striking. What do you see in this piece that speaks to its historical moment? Curator: The sheer monumentality captured here—the loving, lingering gaze directed at this one tree—speaks volumes about a society undergoing rapid industrialization. Brooks' work emerges during a time of escalating anxieties around environmental degradation and the loss of connection with the natural world. Think about it: urbanization, factories, the changing landscape… This image becomes a powerful, albeit quiet, form of resistance. Do you see any parallels with today? Editor: I do. There’s a similar longing now. The image feels like a call for environmental preservation and a slowing down of time. Curator: Exactly. Now consider how photographic technology itself plays a role here. The seemingly objective lens is used to highlight the subjective experience of nature, arguing for its inherent value beyond mere resources. What does it mean to stop and truly see a tree, not just as lumber or shade, but as a living entity with its own history? Editor: It feels almost like giving the tree agency. It shifts our perspective, prompting us to consider our place within a larger ecological framework. Curator: And, perhaps more crucially, it urges us to consider the systems of power that have historically undervalued both the environment and marginalized communities whose lives are intrinsically linked to the land. This quiet photograph, in its own way, is a radical statement. Editor: I never thought a picture of a tree could be so politically charged. Curator: Art, even the seemingly simplest forms, often carries layers of socio-political meaning waiting to be unpacked. Hopefully, this print inspires viewers to slow down, consider nature’s legacy and challenge conventional viewpoints.