Gezicht op een straat te Dundee before 1877

Curator: Here we have “Gezicht op een straat te Dundee,” or “View of a street in Dundee,” created before 1877, a photograph attributed to James Valentine, held here at the Rijksmuseum. What's your first take on it? Editor: Somber. The tonality almost feels like a memory fading, or a ghost inhabiting a busy street. Despite the number of people, the image carries a peculiar quietness. Curator: That's fascinating. The work epitomizes pictorialism, aiming for an artistic effect over sharp focus. Considering this approach and the materials used for early photography, what comes to your mind about its production? Editor: Right away, I think of the heavy labor in early photographic processes – preparing glass plates with light-sensitive emulsions, the precise timing required for exposures, and the development process itself. It was skilled work and demanding, a contrast to our point-and-shoot world. Look at the facades of the buildings, each brick a testament to human effort, reflected in the meticulous detail captured. Curator: And it highlights the democratization of seeing. Photography opened a door allowing people to capture urban scenes and daily life with accessibility. The image transforms a mundane Dundee street into a study of light and shadow, creating an atmosphere of almost palpable presence. Do you agree? Editor: Yes, to an extent. While the aesthetic is striking, we must acknowledge the limitations too. Only some individuals had access to these emerging technologies. These urban landscapes frequently depicted specific narratives of progress, commerce, and a selective gaze. How diverse was the world documented compared to the actual world? Curator: Fair point. There is an unmistakable orderliness and even romanticism, almost entirely ignoring the labor or industry within this society. We can see those well-dressed pedestrians going to shops, but only if they can afford it, as that society had the industry to build and populate. The composition is structured. Editor: Agreed. Though it may lack critical edge, let's not deny the importance and complexity surrounding its origins. Looking closer can allow a richer perspective regarding that era and its innovations regarding representation of reality through material processes. Curator: In this photograph, we see Dundee's past frozen in time. There are shadows to its production, though its ghostly feel speaks volumes in new ways. Editor: The play of light across those Dundee facades really offers much food for thought – about labor, light, and seeing. A perfect example of how the past makes new meanings for today.