Bussey Park before 1883

Curator: Let’s delve into this photograph, “Bussey Park,” predating 1883, attributed to Allen & Rowell. Editor: It’s an albumen print… quite delicate, and seeing it presented like this in the bound album makes me think about its original context. The image has a beautiful softness, almost a painterly quality, but what strikes me is that it’s included within this document which reads as an attempt to formally define this new “park” for the people. How do you read that, presented like this? Curator: This is key, a printed object of high production value – it's no mere snapshot, but an articulation of designed nature. Consider the albumen process itself: meticulously layering organic materials to achieve a rich tonal range. And here it sits within a textual frame which works in unison to produce and enforce ideas around nature, access and civic good. Editor: So, not just the depiction of the park, but a crafted artifact that shapes its very meaning. Curator: Precisely. Who had access to these documents? What were the power dynamics at play in the construction of this "natural" space? The print’s very materiality— the paper, the photographic chemicals, the printing process—speaks volumes about the era's values. Were these parks really accessible for everybody? Editor: That’s interesting, how the medium itself and the context it's been used in opens up broader questions about class and power... something I hadn't fully appreciated at first glance. Curator: Indeed, analyzing the materials and the means of production uncovers layers of meaning embedded in the work, moving beyond just its aesthetic value. Editor: I now see this landscape photograph is more than just a pretty picture. It is embedded in layers of history and process which prompt very important questions around access and intent. Curator: Precisely! Thinking about what these objects are "made of," from materials and process all the way through to culture and society can yield so many unexpected insights.