Archaeology Magazine - July/August 1990 - 114

range of the photographic visions of
the ancient world, especially because
the images in the Tampa exhibias they are in techtion-diverse
nique, subject matter, and spirit are united by the dedication of a
knowledgeable collector. Zewadski
conceives of his collection as organized along a number of axes: "This
show has some of the monuments
of photographic history, as well as the
history of the monuments themselves."
The exhibition, which will tour the
United States, reflects Zewadski's
eclectic yet focused approach. It contains images by many of the acknowledged masters of photography, from
the nineteenth and twentieth century,
from Europe and the United States.
The earliest print, from 1843, is by
William Henry Fox Talbot, one of
the inventors of the medium, while
the most recent, from 1986, is a

56 Archaeology

unique hand-tinted study of a classical torso by a young American
artist named Geanna Merola. The
exhibition also illustrates Zewadski's
interest in photographic technique,
and so includes examples from early
daguerreotypes, to albumen and silver prints, to photogravures and
modern color prints. The subjects include straightforward documents of
archaeological sites, architecture, and
sculpture, along with photographic
reinterpretations that blend the classical components with concerns such
as dance, design, fashion, and photography itself. A closer look at a few
specific images provides a clearer idea
of some of the principal themes of
AmongZewadski'scollectionoffine photo- the collection and the show.
An albumen print made by Robert
graphs are Geanna Merola's 1981 handtinted studyof a classicaltorso>above, and Macpherson in the early 1860's illusEdward Steichen's1921 image, "Isadora trates a number of the most noteDuncan at the Parthenon" below.
worthy attitudes conjured by the
ancient world. In the early 1850's
Macpherson established a commercial studio that met with great success. He specialized in photographing
the art and architecture of ancient
Rome, and his clients seem to have
been primarily foreign visitors to
Rome. In the words of Helmut Gernsheim, a major photographic historian, Macpherson's images are
"poetic descriptions, not mere transcriptions, of the classical scene."One
of his pictures of the Roman Forum
shows the enormous columns of the
temple of Saturn, between two of
which a man is seated. The figure is
so tiny next to the massive pillars
that we may look at the image for a
moment or two before we even notice
his presence. To be sure, the man
functions as a traditional figure-in-alandscape, providing both a sense of
animation and a sense of scale. The
effect is common in painting and
drawing, and it is used in innumerable photographic views from both
the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. In Macpherson's picture, however, the man also plays a meaningful
symbolic role. In part he conveys the
sense that we moderns are dwarfed
by the remnants of antiquity, rendered almost insignificant by their
majesty. At the same time, however,
his posture is not reverent or formal
but casual and relaxed, expressing a

Archaeology Magazine - July/August 1990

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