View of the Interior of the Great Industrial Exhibition, Dublin c. 19th century

Editor: This is Henry Duff Linton's "View of the Interior of the Great Industrial Exhibition, Dublin," from 1853. The sheer scale of the building is impressive, but I wonder, what do you see in this piece? Curator: I see a celebration of industrial production. Consider the iron and glass construction – materials produced on a massive scale, showcasing the very essence of the exhibition itself and the labor required to build it. Editor: So, the building itself is the art? Curator: Precisely. It's a monument to Victorian progress and the burgeoning industrial revolution, built for the consumption of culture and goods. What do you think about the means of producing this image? Editor: I hadn't thought about that! It makes you consider all the layers of production at play. Curator: Exactly! From the materials to the image itself, it is all about industrial creation and consumption.