Ruins of the Church of Santo Domingo-Panama Possibly 1875 - 1877

Eadweard Muybridge made this albumen silver print, showing the ruins of the Church of Santo Domingo in Panama. It's an image of a building, but also of a process: photography. The albumen print was a hugely popular format in the 19th century, and required great skill. First, egg whites were whipped into a froth, left to settle, then carefully poured onto paper. Once dry, this was floated on a solution of silver nitrate, making it sensitive to light. The negative was then pressed against the paper and exposed to sunlight. The process was repeated to increase contrast, then washed and toned with gold chloride. Muybridge was a master of this demanding technique. Look at the tonality, the way he’s captured the rough texture of the ruined walls, and the strong tropical sunlight. But also consider the amount of labor that went into this image, both in its making and what it depicts. Muybridge’s photograph reminds us that all images are made from something.