Upper Beth-Horon before 1866

This is a photograph of Upper Beth-Horon, made by Francis Bedford sometime in the mid-19th century, using a process that was still relatively new at the time. The albumen print process that Bedford employed was quite labor-intensive. It required coating paper with egg whites and then sensitizing it with silver nitrate, before it was exposed to light through a negative. This handcrafted approach resulted in prints with fine detail and a distinctive tonal range, which you can see in the textured surfaces of the buildings and landscape. The image is a testament to the photographer's skill, but also to the considerable time and effort that went into each print. Considering the social context, photography in the 19th century was a technology closely tied to colonialism and exploration. Images like this one documented distant lands, making them accessible to a European audience. In turn, this shaped perceptions and furthered the project of empire. So, when we look at this photograph, we are not just seeing a landscape, but also glimpsing a complex web of technology, labor, and imperial ambition. The convergence of craft, industry, and social history encourages us to look beyond the surface of the image.