Schepen op het Suezkanaal ter hoogte van meren c. 1870 - 1890

C. and G. Zangaki made this albumen print, "Ships on the Suez Canal near the lakes," using a process that was then revolutionizing visual culture. Photography involved a complex chain of labor. The photographer, of course, but also the people who prepared the glass plates, and the printers who created the final image. The image itself shows a testament to global capitalism, the Suez Canal –cutting through Egypt to create the shortest maritime route from Europe to Asia. The image foregrounds the canal's function as a conduit for trade and colonialism. It's a carefully composed scene with ships at anchor, and in the background, the edge of the canal, made possible by the labor of countless workers. Consider the incredible human effort that went into both the construction of the canal and the making of this image. It reminds us that every photograph, like every object, has a history of materials, making, and social context embedded within it.