Gezicht op de watervallen bij Tivoli, Italië 1857 - 1900

The Alinari brothers made this photograph of the waterfalls at Tivoli, Italy, using an albumen silver print. The image is made by coating a paper base with an emulsion of egg white and silver nitrate, resulting in a smooth surface with fine detail. The tonality is rich and sepia-like due to the materials used in its production. It’s fascinating to consider the chemistry involved: manipulating organic substances and light-sensitive compounds to fix an image permanently. This laborious process was the foundation of early commercial photography, before industrialization streamlined the operation. There's a direct correlation between this artistic vision, and the manual labor involved in its creation. The image captures a romantic view of nature, yet it was enabled by a complex system of labor, science, and commerce. By appreciating these elements, we understand photography not just as a means of representation, but as a product of its time.