Jerusalem-View in the Garden of Gethsemane looking towards the walls of Jerusalem before 1866

This photograph, "Jerusalem-View in the Garden of Gethsemane looking towards the walls of Jerusalem", was made by Francis Bedford sometime in the mid-19th century. Bedford was one of many photographers who took to the field with the new collodion process. This involved coating a glass plate with a light-sensitive emulsion, exposing it in the camera while still wet, and then developing it immediately. The resulting negative could then be used to create multiple prints on paper, like the one you see here. The image itself documents a place, and the labor involved in its making is easy to overlook. Consider the work of preparing and handling the chemicals, transporting the equipment, and then, most importantly, the eye of the photographer in capturing this view. This print represents a fascinating intersection of chemical science, manual skill, and artistic vision. It’s a reminder that even seemingly straightforward images are the product of a complex process.