Old North Church 1893

Editor: This is Henry Robertson’s print of the Old North Church. It feels so quiet, almost ghostly, with that full moon hanging behind the steeple. What do you see in this piece? Curator: Well, the steeple itself acts as a potent symbol, a vertical axis connecting the earthly and divine. Notice how Robertson positions it against the moon, evoking a sense of timelessness, but also memory. Editor: Memory? Curator: Think about the church's history. It’s not just a building; it's a repository of cultural memory, of pivotal moments in American history. The moon might even act as a subtle reference to the passage of time, to the events witnessed by the church's walls. Editor: That's a lot to read into one image! I hadn't considered how the moon contributes. Curator: Symbols are often multi-layered. Robertson uses them to connect us to the past. Editor: I'll definitely look at prints differently now.