Gore Hall 1861 - 1866

Editor: This is a photograph of Gore Hall, taken by George Kendall Warren. I’m immediately drawn to its almost ghostly quality and the building’s impressive Gothic Revival architecture. What can you tell me about the context in which this image was created? Curator: Well, consider the role of institutions like Harvard in the mid-19th century. Photography was still relatively new, and images like this served to project an image of established power and tradition. How does the choice of architectural style contribute to that message? Editor: It definitely reinforces a sense of history and prestige, linking the university to centuries of European scholarship. I hadn’t thought about how the photograph itself plays into that narrative. Curator: Exactly. And the photographic medium, then seen as objective, lent a certain authority to that constructed image. It makes me wonder, what other messages might it be conveying about the institution at that time? Editor: That's a great point. I'll be thinking about that!