Haytime before 1899

Curator: Here we have "Haytime," a gelatin-silver print by J.E. Thornton, dating from before 1899. The scene appears to be an idyllic snapshot of rural life. What are your immediate impressions? Editor: The tonal range feels subdued; it evokes a melancholic quiet, even though the scene is meant to represent summertime activity. The figures seem captured mid-labor, yet the atmosphere exudes serenity more than exertion. I wonder about the labor and skill that would go into making the silver gelatin itself in that period. Curator: Thornton's composition does lean toward pictorialism. He captures a certain mood of timeless tradition. The symbol of haymaking is interesting, and the work’s historical date—before 1899—carries associations of pre-industrial work, though captured with a relatively "modern" photographic medium. Editor: Exactly! The irony of using cutting-edge technology, at that time, to document and maybe even romanticize the simplicity of pre-mechanized agriculture intrigues me. How were these materials sourced? Gelatin itself has such loaded colonial ties as well. Curator: Right, that colonial dimension adds another layer. In considering this medium’s symbolism, we must look at the chemical process involved in its making—such a different relationship to image creation than contemporary digital photography. Also, the placement in the book with the accompanying information, serves to heighten its "educational" or instructional capacity. Editor: Good point! Context is everything. To see this photographic print reproduced and explained on the pages of a book allows a deeper insight into the production of knowledge about artistic creation at that time. What’s revealed versus what’s obscured through that choice? Curator: Yes, those contrasts make this piece fascinating, in this setting of historical documentation! I've thought differently about it because of our conversation today. Editor: Me too! Focusing on materiality certainly helps reveal those hidden narratives woven into this otherwise pastoral scene.