Reims_ West Facade of the Cathedral II 1858

Editor: This is a photograph, an albumen print from 1858, taken by Bisson Frères. It’s titled "Reims, West Facade of the Cathedral II." It's currently housed in the Städel Museum. The thing that strikes me is the scaffolding; it speaks to a process, not a finished product. What catches your eye in this image? Curator: The scaffolding is crucial, yes. For me, it draws attention to the labor involved in the cathedral’s construction. This image isn't just about appreciating gothic architecture, it’s about the means of production, about the social and economic conditions that made such a colossal undertaking possible. Look at the raw materials, the scale of the project – how does that relate to the French society of the 19th century? Editor: So you’re seeing a commentary on industrialization and its impact on even pre-industrial craft? The photograph capturing this tension? Curator: Precisely. The choice of albumen print itself is telling. It was a relatively new technology then, a way to mass produce images. We must consider the industrial processes behind the photograph alongside the subject in the photograph: the cathedral itself. Both represent massive investments of resources and labor. What's the effect of this contrast for you? Editor: It feels like a record of a moment in time when craftsmanship and mass production were overlapping and reshaping each other. Almost as though the photograph itself becomes part of the cathedral’s ongoing construction. Curator: I agree. The Bisson brothers give us a moment to think about not only what the cathedral is, but also about how it came to be, and what its creation meant to those who labored on it. Editor: Seeing it through that lens has really transformed my understanding of this photograph. I was too focused on the architectural subject. Curator: It's often in those material traces that the real story lies.