Gezicht op de entree van Vieux-Liège op de Wereldtentoonstelling van 1905 in Luik 1905

Editor: This is "Gezicht op de entree van Vieux-Liège op de Wereldtentoonstelling van 1905 in Luik," a print from 1905 depicting the entrance to the "Old Liège" section of the World's Fair. I am struck by the somewhat theatrical quality of this photographic cityscape. What story does it tell, do you think? Curator: Oh, theatrical is the perfect word! It’s got this almost stage-set quality, doesn't it? You know, World’s Fairs back then were about more than just showing off new inventions; they were about crafting these idealized versions of history and culture. Think of it like a visual buffet of progress mixed with a dash of nostalgia. What aspects of that scene speak to you the loudest? Editor: I notice the ordinary-looking people going through the gate. I hadn’t thought about world’s fairs as carefully constructed stage sets... How were they used politically? Curator: Clever eye. They served as showcases for national pride, subtle power plays enacted with architecture and exhibits. "Old Liège" probably played to local sentiments. This exhibit would transport locals, fostering a sense of connection to their history but within a curated, politically charged frame. That brickwork is, itself, part of that constructed identity! Does seeing that change your initial sense? Editor: It does. I saw it as more of a document of a place, but now I understand that it is staging something bigger. Curator: Exactly! And it’s in that tension between what seems “real” and what’s clearly constructed that things get interesting, artistically. We have peeled back the layers and looked under the proverbial rock, my friend. What a satisfying conversation!