Interieur van Long House in Mesa Verde National Park before 1893

Gustaf Nordenskiöld made this print of the Long House interior at Mesa Verde around the late 19th century using a photogravure technique. This process relies on etching a photographic image onto a metal plate, then using it to create prints. The material quality of the print itself—the way the ink sits on the page, the subtle gradations of tone—gives the image a particular feel. Think of the amount of labor involved: setting up the camera, developing the film, preparing the plate, and finally, printing the image. It's a process far removed from our digital age of instant photography. But consider the image itself. The ancient architecture of the Long House represents human labor, of a different kind, that has been undertaken for centuries before Nordenskiöld created this image. It’s this combination of labor, ancient and modern, that gives the print its enduring power, reminding us of the layers of time and human effort embedded in every object and image.