Gezicht op de Puente de San Martín te Toledo 1862 - 1876

This stereoscopic image of the Puente de San Martín in Toledo was captured by Jean Andrieu sometime in the mid-19th century, using photography. In Andrieu’s time, the wet collodion process dominated photography. This technique, involving coating a glass plate with chemicals, sensitizing, exposing, and developing it on site, demanded considerable skill. It transformed photography from a scientific curiosity to a widely practiced medium. This image, made on glass then printed on paper, is of a built structure - it depicts a medieval bridge which has seen use across the centuries. In capturing this vista using photography, Andrieu is asking us to consider the relationship between the built environment and the natural world. By choosing photography, a process still in its relative infancy, Andrieu is also asking us to consider the intersection of tradition and modernity. The image also has something to say about the rise of tourism, capturing and disseminating views for mass consumption. Looking closely at the Puente de San Martín through Andrieu’s lens is a reminder that every image, every view, is the result of a carefully orchestrated process. By paying close attention to materiality, making, and context, we challenge traditional distinctions between art, craft, and the built environment.