['Library', 'Students room in Durfee'] before 1882

Curator: This arresting photograph by James Notman, taken before 1882, gives us glimpses into "Library" and a "Student's room in Durfee." Editor: My initial reaction is to the contrasting composition. The library image strikes me with its architectural grandeur, starkly juxtaposed against the intimate clutter of the student's room. Curator: Exactly. Consider this in terms of the late 19th-century academic experience at Yale. Notman's work serves as a powerful commentary on the spaces of learning, from the institution itself to the student’s private domain. The Durfee room, likely inhabited by privileged white men, reinforces that exclusionary access to these educational institutions. Editor: The stark black and white tones also contribute. The exterior shot uses sharp contrast emphasizing the stone's texture while interior is full of tonal range. I find that interesting—that light, form, and surface speak differently depending on the depicted subject matter. Curator: I agree, and I believe the use of light invites further thought. While it illuminates the imposing structure of the library, suggesting knowledge and openness, it softly illuminates the student's room. This brings forth more personal stories; there are paintings on the walls, personal objects...the scene gives us the possibility of exploring themes of identity, aspiration, and the shaping of the individual within the walls of academia. Editor: The framed prints and orderly shelves in the student's room, with everything in its place, signal stability and curated scholarship, which is very different from seeing something naturally messy! Curator: Absolutely. But even in their carefully constructed arrangements, spaces speak about the society in which these spaces exist. Notman is making an argument about the relationship of education, gender, and class, creating a compelling visual record. Editor: So, by drawing out how material elements reflect both personal values and broad institutional narratives, this piece is really multifaceted. Curator: It provides us with multiple avenues for interpreting what an institution of learning looked like, and perhaps whom it served, at a critical point in history.