Stoomschip Umbria in de haven van Liverpool 1902

Curator: This albumen print from 1902 is titled "Stoomschip Umbria in de haven van Liverpool," and was created by H.C. White. It depicts the steamship Umbria docked at Liverpool. What strikes you initially about this work? Editor: The immediate feeling is one of incredible density and anticipation. Look at all those people crowded on the pier; a sea of faces almost as vast as the ocean the ship just crossed, all waiting expectantly! What narratives do you find here? Curator: Considering albumen printing, that’s quite appropriate imagery to reference oceans. The process involves coating paper with egg white before applying a silver nitrate solution, making the paper light sensitive. This print shows an elaborate process of combining organic materials with the technological development of photography, indicating the shift into mass production of image making for documenting events and the labor required behind it. Editor: I find it remarkable how the photograph captures the essence of travel and longing at the turn of the century. The Umbria itself, a vessel of considerable size, is symbolic of connection, ferrying people and goods, across vast distances and perhaps fulfilling a greater need to see, learn, or settle somewhere new. The vessel dwarfs them all. The smoke pouring from its chimneys tells its story of long days at sea. Curator: Exactly. And if we think of its means of transport as industrial labour, steamships required coal and large numbers of staff that signify broader operations in place, and not only transport goods across the Atlantic but support industries behind them. It visualizes technological advancement in ways that rely so heavily on mining and dock workers for the vessel’s functioning. This imagery connects industry to this symbol of hope and adventure that you have identified. Editor: It’s amazing how this single image, crafted through albumen printing, can evoke so many emotions tied to place and memory, longing for something new but reliance on something solid like British industry to allow people their travels. It encourages the viewer to consider what journeys its audience took, be they psychological or physical ones, back when it was initially sold and viewed on a stereoscope. Curator: Indeed, it's a wonderful encapsulation of both the grand narratives and the silent labor that underpins them, the intersection of image making and technological processes! Thank you for helping me see the complex operations in it through its layers.