Deel van een ornamentele boog 1850 - 1900

Adolphe Giraudon made this photographic print of a fragment of an ornamental arch. Look closely, and you'll notice the texture of the paper, its slight sheen, and the way the light plays across the surface. This albumen print gives us a tangible connection to the past, both capturing an object of the past, and being an artifact of the late 19th century. Consider that creating albumen prints was a time-consuming process. Egg whites were beaten, coated on paper, and then sensitized with silver nitrate before exposure in contact with a negative. This highlights the labor and skill involved in photographic practices of the time. The final print therefore exists as a product of chemical reactions but also human craft. In this photograph we see the convergence of industry and artistry, reminding us of the rich history embedded within everyday images. It urges us to appreciate photography as both a historical record, and a medium shaped by craft, labor, and human ingenuity.