Morgan Gibbes Post (1854-1888) 1874 - 1875

Curator: This is a portrait of Morgan Gibbes Post, created by William Notman sometime between 1854 and 1888. Editor: It's a very formal image, isn’t it? The sepia tones give it a melancholic feel. Curator: Absolutely. Notman was a prominent photographer, with studios in Montreal, Toronto, and Halifax. He captured images of a rising Canadian society. Editor: The material process is interesting here. These early photographic techniques were so labor-intensive. Each print represents considerable skill and time. Curator: Portraits like this signified social standing. They were a tool for shaping identity and projecting an image of respectability and prosperity. Editor: And how many of these were produced? This one surviving tells us something about the subject. It suggests a preservation of memory for future consumption. Curator: Precisely. This image invites us to reflect on the historical moment of its creation and the cultural values embedded within its composition. Editor: I see a tangible object, mass-produced for sentimental value—a physical vestige of fleeting moments in life and commerce. Curator: It speaks to the lasting power of symbols and the enduring human desire to be remembered. Editor: A beautiful, albeit formally rigid, example of early photographic portraiture and its social implications.