Reservoir Dam at Boyd's Corners before 1872

Editor: So, this is a photographic print titled "Reservoir Dam at Boyd's Corners" by George Gardner Rockwood, pre-dating 1872. It looks like it's an image from a book, sepia-toned, depicting exactly what the title says - a dam. I'm immediately struck by how this very utilitarian structure is being presented as a landscape. How do you read that? Curator: I see it as a powerful statement on the evolving relationship between humans and nature. Dams are inherently about control, about reshaping the natural world to serve human needs, especially concerning resource access and management. What narratives are overlooked when we celebrate infrastructural marvels? Editor: That’s interesting! I hadn’t thought about the inherent power dynamics. I guess I just saw it as documenting a feat of engineering. Curator: Exactly! And whose perspective does that documentation prioritize? Consider who benefited from this dam, and perhaps who was displaced or whose access to the waterway was restricted. Dams were, and are, inherently tied to land ownership, resource control, and often, displacement of Indigenous populations. Do we see that reflected in the image? What *isn't* shown? Editor: So, it’s not just about what’s in the photo, but also about what’s absent: the human cost? Curator: Precisely. And about recognizing the ways in which technological advancements, like the construction of this dam, were often intertwined with larger sociopolitical projects concerning land, race, and class. Can a photograph be truly neutral when it reflects such asymmetrical power structures? Editor: Wow, I never considered a landscape could carry so much... weight. It’s definitely shifted my perspective on how I’ll view photographs – and dams – from now on. Curator: Excellent. Questioning the inherent biases within visual culture is crucial for understanding whose stories are told, and whose are erased.