Façade van het Ospedale del Ceppo te Pistoia 1864 - 1881

This photograph of the Ospedale del Ceppo in Pistoia was created by Giacomo Brogi, using a process involving light-sensitive chemistry and a large format camera. Brogi’s final albumen print is more than just a record; it's a carefully constructed image. His technique, involving coating paper with albumen from eggs, sensitizing it with silver nitrate, then exposing it to light through a negative, was labor intensive. Yet this resulted in an exceptionally detailed image, a perfect medium to capture the hospital's intricate façade. Consider the building: a place of healing adorned with a frieze of glazed terracotta. These weren't traditional ‘high art’ materials, yet they beautifully conveyed social and cultural values. Brogi's photograph captures all this, emphasizing the interplay of craft, architecture, and social context. It’s a reminder that materials and processes are not just technicalities; they imbue objects with deeper meaning.