Untitled (view of fields and White Mountains) 1854

Editor: This photograph by John Adams Whipple shows fields leading to the White Mountains. The perspective feels a bit unsettling, almost like a stage. What do you see in this piece? Curator: I see a powerful commentary on land ownership and the romanticization of the American landscape in the 19th century. The careful division of land, almost like a grid, reflects a specific type of economic and political control. Editor: So, you're saying it's not just a pretty view? Curator: Exactly. Think about who controlled these lands, whose labor cultivated them, and at what cost. The sublime mountains are a backdrop to a story of dispossession and exploitation. How does that change your perspective? Editor: It makes me think about the stories the landscape *doesn't* tell at first glance. Curator: Precisely. Photography can be a powerful tool for revealing those hidden narratives.