Untitled (Group portrait of Exeter College "Torpid" (rowing team) 1865. Bow. C. H. Adams; 2. A. J. Pile; 3. C. E. Roberts; 4. W. B. Besley; 5. G. H. Morrell; 6. A. Lethbridge; 7. J. P. Young; Stroke, G. H. Swinny; Coxman, E. Kingdon; verso: Photo montage labeled "Exeter College Turl Street Front") 1864 - 1871

Curator: I'm struck by the formal arrangement in this 1865 photograph by Iorwerth Grey Lloyd, capturing the Exeter College rowing team, "Torpid." The young men are posed with such Victorian seriousness. Editor: It’s the texture of the photograph itself that grabs me. The albumen print gives it a warm, almost sepia quality. Look at how the light catches the rough stone of the building behind them. Curator: And that backdrop is so integral, isn't it? The Gothic architecture, the team members attired in their coats and hats, everything speaks to the cultural moment of elite education and athleticism. The image feels like a celebration of a particular social class. Editor: Right, the material conditions of that class are right here, printed on this paper. The labor of the photographer, the cost of the materials—it all points to a specific kind of access and privilege. Curator: I agree. The photo, in its composition and context, immortalizes their shared identity and status as members of the Exeter College rowing team, cementing their place in the college’s history. Editor: Thinking about the physical object and the time it took to create this photo gives me a deeper understanding of the era.