Main Street in Port Elizabeth c. 1885 - 1910

This photograph of Main Street in Port Elizabeth was made using the wet collodion process, a technique that dominated photography in the mid-19th century. The process is fascinating: a glass plate was coated with chemicals, exposed in the camera while still wet, and then developed immediately. This necessitated a portable darkroom and skilled handiwork, intertwining science, craft, and art. The resulting images are celebrated for their clarity and tonal range. Looking at this print, consider the labor involved. From preparing the chemicals to the artistry of composition, photography at this time was as much a craft as it was a science. Each print captures not only the scene, but also the labor and expertise embedded in the photographic process. It reminds us that even what seems like a straightforward representation of reality is the result of a complex set of skills and material processes.