Jérusalem, Carrière à la Porte de Damas 1854 - 1859

Auguste Salzmann made this photograph of a quarry outside the Damascus Gate in Jerusalem using the Calotype process. This early photographic technique involved coating paper with silver iodide, exposing it to light, and then developing the latent image. Notice how the image foregrounds the rough, quarried stone, emphasizing its texture and mass. Salzmann captures the stark reality of the quarry, a place of labor. The photograph suggests a direct connection between human effort and the built environment of Jerusalem. Consider how this image contrasts with the romanticized depictions of the Holy Land common at the time. Salzmann’s work brings to mind the labor required to build the city. This approach invites us to think about the social and economic forces shaping the landscape, and challenges the traditional separation of art from the realities of work and production.