Gold and Silver: Exploring Early Photography and the North American Gold Rush through a Unique Exhibition

The exhibition 'Gold and Silver' explores the connection between the 19th-century North American gold rush and the advent of photography. It features contemporary projections alongside historical daguerreotypes and albumen photographs.

Offering a modern-day perspective on the nineteenth-century gold rush in North America, 'Gold and Silver' uses contemporary projections, nineteenth-century daguerreotypes, and albumen photographs to immerse visitors in the ambitions, dreams, and illusions of a generation of gold seekers. The exhibition travels along the rivers of California and across the snow-covered mountaintops of the Yukon, showcasing young adventurers whose portraits, in combination with the landscapes of their endeavors, differed significantly from the more solemn studio photography of the era. It highlights the dual emergence of the possibility of wealth through gold and the recording of likenesses through metallic salts like gold and silver, emphasizing the intrinsic relationship between the gold rush and early photographic practices. This exhibition is a collaboration between the Canadian Photography Institute of the National Gallery of Canada and Foam, in partnership with Library and Archives Canada.

Visit and revisit 'Gold and Silver', other exhibitions and events as a Foam Member. Further information on memberships is available via the provided link.