Marine-barracks and dress-parade before 1890

Edward H. Hart captured these two photographs of a Marine barracks and dress parade through the industrialized process of photography. The images, likely produced as albumen prints, demonstrate a complex interplay of chemistry, light, and skilled labor. The final sepia tones emerge from the use of albumen from hen's eggs, coated onto paper and treated with silver nitrate. Each stage, from preparing the light-sensitive surface to developing the latent image, involves precise control and expertise. The photographs are records of the U.S. Marine Corps, with the mass production of standardized uniforms, parade ground, and military buildings indicative of a society increasingly organized around labor and consumption. Hart’s photographs give insight into the visual culture of military institutions, and the social and economic forces that shaped them. By considering the materials, methods, and context, we see how photographs reveal not only what is depicted, but also the conditions of their making.