Oversteekplaats voor karavaans over het Suezkanaal bij Al-Qantarah 1870 - 1910

This photograph of a caravan crossing the Suez Canal at Al-Qantarah was taken by C. & G. Zangaki, most likely in the late 19th century. It’s an albumen print – a process involving coating paper with egg white to create a smooth surface for the photographic emulsion. What’s fascinating here is how the image itself participates in the story it tells. The Suez Canal, completed in 1869, was a massive feat of engineering driven by European colonial ambitions, yet realized through the labor of countless Egyptians. Photography, similarly, was a relatively new technology at the time, often used to document and exoticize distant lands and people. Notice the tonal range achieved through the albumen process and the stark contrast it creates. The sharp clarity with which we can see the camels, the people, and the ships underscores the dynamic that the canal inaugurated. Both the canal and photography were instruments of power, shaping global trade and visual culture alike. This photograph, therefore, is not just a depiction of a moment in time, but a product of the very forces it represents.