Kioto Town from Maruyama c. 1891

This landscape photograph of Kioto Town from Maruyama was taken by Tamamura K. sometime between 1890 and 1910. It's an albumen print, a process that coats paper with egg white to create a glossy surface for the photographic emulsion. The albumen printing process was incredibly popular in the late 19th century for its sharp detail, but it was also laborious, requiring careful preparation and handling of materials. The image here is richly toned, using a limited palette of browns and greens to create depth and atmosphere. Looking closely, you can see the texture of the paper beneath the image. It is a reminder that even in photography, materiality and process play a crucial role. The image provides a window into the past, showing us a moment in time captured through a very specific lens, one that was shaped by both artistic vision and material constraints. It asks us to reflect on the labor involved in its creation, and on how photographic technologies, like all forms of making, are embedded in social and economic contexts.