Earthquake in Southern Italy

This photograph, taken by Roberto Rive in the late 19th century, captures the devastation of an earthquake in Southern Italy. It's a salted paper print, a process that involves coating paper with a salt solution and then silver nitrate, creating a surface sensitive to light. The final print presents a sobering view of collapsed buildings, highlighting the raw materiality of stone and mortar, reduced to rubble. The image focuses on the labor of recovery. Men with picks and shovels, representing the collective effort to rebuild and restore order, are also seen carrying a stretcher. Photography at this time was a complex process, requiring knowledge of chemistry and optics, alongside an artistic sensibility. The act of making this photograph becomes a social act, a commentary on resilience in the face of natural disaster. It also reminds us that even in the face of such destruction, the skills of craft and the necessity of labor persist.