Gezicht op het Grote Kerkhof te Deventer 1875 - 1900

Editor: Here we have Johann Heinrich Martin Bosse's photograph, "Gezicht op het Grote Kerkhof te Deventer," created sometime between 1875 and 1900. It’s a black and white photograph of a town square in Deventer. I’m struck by the vastness of the space, almost empty, and I wonder, what do you make of this scene? Curator: The materiality of this photograph, that albumen print, gives us clues. This image, through its chemical process, is as much about early photographic technology as it is about representing the town square. It speaks to a specific moment in image production. Who was able to consume images like this? Editor: I see what you mean. So, the technology behind creating it really defines the image, then? Curator: Exactly! And consider the labor involved in both creating and consuming such an image. A photographer like Bosse isn't just pointing and shooting; they are involved in a complex chemical and mechanical process, which transforms how people consume the spaces represented in the photo. Notice the focus on the architecture; these aren’t simple houses, but symbols of power and the material conditions of urban life. Editor: It’s amazing how the materiality ties into social conditions I hadn’t even considered, even today in a digital age, how we receive and access photographs means so much. Curator: It forces us to confront the tangible means of its creation and how it circulates. What new perspective will you take on your next viewing of a photographic piece? Editor: Definitely thinking about the entire context now. Thanks so much for pointing that out.