Veertien leden van het hof van de universiteit van Glasgow before 1891

This black-and-white photograph depicts fourteen members of the court of the University of Glasgow. Its anonymous maker used the wet collodion process to produce the print on paper. The process involved coating a glass plate with light-sensitive chemicals, exposing it in a camera, and then developing the image immediately. This resulted in a highly detailed, but fragile, negative. To create a positive print like this one, the negative would be placed in contact with photographic paper and exposed to light, causing the image to transfer. The resulting tonal range of the image is characteristic of this technique. The sharpness and clarity of the figures speak to the expertise required to execute the wet collodion process successfully. Given the relatively long exposure times required, the subjects would have needed to remain still, contributing to the image's formal, posed quality. By appreciating the labor and technical skill involved in its making, we can understand this photograph not only as a historical document, but also as a carefully crafted object.