Rear View of MacMonnies Fountain, World's Columbian Exposition 1894

Editor: Here we have William Henry Jackson's "Rear View of MacMonnies Fountain, World's Columbian Exposition". I'm really struck by the sheer scale of the fountain, how it dwarfs everything around it. What stands out to you? Curator: The photograph captures not just the fountain's scale, but also a potent idealism. Look how Columbia, at the very top, embodies America’s aspirations. It's about ambition, isn't it? A yearning for greatness, maybe even a touch of hubris. Don't you think? Editor: I suppose it does read as a statement of intent. There's a real energy to it. I was just caught up in the spectacle. Curator: It's easy to be overwhelmed. But Jackson, through his lens, invites us to consider the narrative, the story America was telling itself, and the world, at that time. Editor: A story in stone, captured for posterity. I'll definitely look at it differently now!