Roquefavour 1860 - 1862

Edouard Baldus made this photograph, Roquefavour, in the mid-19th century, using a process called salted paper printing. The image shows an aqueduct rising above a densely wooded area. The salted paper printing process, popular in the 1840s and 50s, involved coating paper with a silver nitrate solution, resulting in a print that displays a soft, textured surface, and a warm, sepia tone. Baldus, commissioned to document France’s architectural heritage, used photography to capture the grandeur and scale of engineering feats such as this aqueduct. The materiality of the salted paper print, with its subtle tonal gradations, enhances the image's aesthetic qualities, while also reflecting the period's fascination with industrial progress and infrastructure. Photography was not yet considered an artistic medium, but Baldus, through his technical skill, elevated it to an art form. This image encourages us to consider photography's role in documenting and celebrating human innovation.