Warkworth Castle before 1866

Curator: Here we have an early photograph, likely before 1866, capturing the imposing ruins of Warkworth Castle. The photographer is Thomas Annan. Editor: Immediately, there's a palpable sense of time and loss radiating from this image. The monochrome tones only enhance the feeling of decay, and almost amplify the silence that must envelop the stones. Curator: Annan's photographic practice often documented social landscapes, focusing on working class living and urban life in Scotland, making this departure to photograph architectural ruins somewhat interesting. One could also suggest this is more in keeping with a burgeoning Victorian sensibility of a medieval ruin in the Romantic period. The image is presented in a bound album opposite some Romantic poetry on the opposing page, so a dialogue could certainly be developed here! Editor: It really sparks the imagination! I picture stonemasons painstakingly crafting these walls, the echo of metal tools, and the communities that would’ve both supported and sheltered within the fortress. And now...it’s simply an empty shell. Is that also presented as a print alongside the photo? Curator: That is correct, both print and photography within the same binding. The inclusion of text emphasizes the subject as not just a construction material, but as something historically and artistically precious. Editor: I agree! Thinking of labor... the photographer in a different sense also invests time and skills in rendering these structures, so one can think of them in turn. To go and find a viewpoint, with this lighting - it could very well also reflect an interest in making the viewer meditate about change over time. The whole work is kind of... wistful, isn't it? Curator: It’s that contrast, that push-and-pull between something tangible and the weight of history and lost function, captured in one image—and amplified by its original presention. It’s incredibly moving, I agree. Editor: Indeed, so we are also documenting time passing. The skill with which that photographic eye meets such a strong artistic sentiment… very impressive.