Twee gezichten op een ruïne van een rotswoning in Mesa Verde National Park before 1893

Curator: Right now, we're looking at "Twee gezichten op een ruïne van een rotswoning in Mesa Verde National Park," or "Two Views of a Ruin of a Rock Dwelling in Mesa Verde National Park." It’s a gelatin silver print made by Gustaf Nordenskiöld sometime before 1893. Editor: It's… stark. The monochrome really amplifies the harshness of the stone. You can almost feel the arid heat radiating off the image. The textures are really prominent too, which give it an unsettling organic feel – like exposed bone, in a way. Curator: Yes, the choice of gelatin silver was particularly popular at this time because it allowed for sharper detail and a wider range of tonal values compared to earlier photographic processes. This piece, specifically, is fascinating because Nordenskiöld wasn’t just an artist; he was an archaeologist. He documented these sites in Mesa Verde, Colorado. Editor: That makes the whole thing even heavier, doesn't it? Looking at a photo taken by someone essentially plundering these places for artifacts… knowing it was taken before any real regulations were in place… Curator: Exactly. There’s an inherent tension. On one hand, these photographs provide valuable records of structures that have continued to erode. On the other, we can question the ethics of Nordenskiöld's activities within a historical context marked by colonial attitudes. It certainly was a time when the "collection" of artifacts trumped indigenous rights. Editor: It also strikes me how these photos lack human presence. They focus entirely on architecture in landscape, yet scream of absence. Like a ghost town portrayed without the ghosts. Makes you wonder about those people who once lived in this dwelling, the silence echoing here, decades and decades after Nordenskiöld. Curator: That contrast, that interplay of presence and absence, echoes through a lot of work centered around archeological photography. These images freeze moments in time that really provoke considerations on preservation and our relation with history. Editor: Yeah, the artist isn’t just documenting, he's inadvertently layering himself and his society's baggage right on top. Haunting, really. Curator: A fascinating visual relic and a strong reflection on the complexities of looking back.