Exterieur van Dwight Hall van Yale University te New Haven before 1895

This is a photograph of Dwight Hall at Yale University in New Haven, taken by an anonymous photographer. It’s a study in materiality, really. The stone from which the building is constructed has a rugged, textured quality, and you can see the marks of the stonemasons’ tools on its surface. The building is clearly the result of skilled labor and careful craftsmanship, but the image itself may point to how a university like Yale depends on industries outside of itself. Consider the social context of the hall. It seems to exude an image of permanence and tradition, with its arches, stone walls, and ivy, but its construction also relies on specific modes of production and consumption. The way it was built, stone by stone, speaks to the amount of work involved in the process. Ultimately, this photograph asks us to consider the relationship between the physical materials of the building, the labor required to create it, and the broader social context in which it exists. It blurs the boundaries between fine art, craft, and architecture.