Twee mannen op een boot, met op de achtergrond Isola Bella en Isola dei Pescatori, Lago Maggiore 1861 - 1878

Ernest Eléonor Pierre Lamy made this albumen print depicting two men on a boat, with Isola Bella and Isola dei Pescatori in the background. The photograph itself is an object of craft, a product of a precise chemical process. The albumen print, popular in the 19th century, involves coating paper with albumen from egg whites, then sensitizing it with silver nitrate. This process creates a smooth surface ideal for capturing fine details. The sepia tone we see is characteristic of the process, emerging during development as silver particles form the image. The making of an albumen print was labor intensive. From separating eggs, coating the paper, and carefully exposing the print to light, each step demanded skilled handling. When considered in this way, photography joins other skilled traditions of image-making. Ultimately, it is the convergence of process, material, and social context that grants this photograph its full meaning, challenging traditional divides between craft and art.