Gezicht op Annapolis en twee gezichten op een honkbalwedstrijd (vermoedelijk) van kadetten van de United States Naval Academy before 1890

This photobook page by Edward H. Hart features gelatin silver prints, a process common in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It speaks to the democratizing effect of photography, an increasingly accessible technology for capturing and circulating images. The gelatin silver process itself is fascinating; a light-sensitive emulsion of silver halides in gelatin is coated on a paper or glass support. The tonal range we see, from the dark shadows to the bright highlights, is a direct result of the chemical reactions occurring during development, a kind of alchemy made commonplace. The book format encourages a particular kind of circulation, one that is less about the aura of a unique work of art and more about the sharing of information. The book is also an intimate form, meant to be held and shared within a smaller social circle. This photobook page blurs the lines between personal documentation, artistic expression, and the broader currents of visual culture.