Gezicht op Prinsessegracht in Den Haag c. 1860 - 1900

Andries Jager made this small photograph of the Prinsessegracht in The Hague using the albumen print process. This technique, popular in the mid-19th century, involved coating paper with egg white and silver nitrate, creating a surface sensitive to light. The material qualities of albumen prints give them a distinctive look. The image appears soft and warm, with a subtle sheen that enhances the details of the architecture and foliage. This tonality results from the developing process, as the silver particles react to light, creating depth and luminosity. Photography emerged alongside industrialization, and it offered new ways to document the changing world, and this one highlights the artist's engagement with modernity, by using a chemical process that captured the world with unprecedented accuracy and detail. Understanding the materials and methods used allows us to appreciate the photograph not only as a representation of a scene, but as an object shaped by its own making.