Onbekende personen met dromedarissen en tenten in de woestijn before 1862

This photograph of an encampment in the desert, showing people with camels and tents, was made by Francis Frith in the 19th century. Frith was one of the first commercial photographers to recognize the potential market in the West for views of faraway places. To make this image, he would have used the collodion process, which required coating a glass plate with a light-sensitive emulsion. The final print is made from this negative. Photography in this period was a labour-intensive process, requiring not only technical skill but also the logistical expertise to transport equipment, supplies, and porters to remote locations. This image is a testament to Frith's ambition and to the complex interactions between Western photographers and the people and places they sought to capture. By focusing on Frith's equipment and methods, we can better understand the social and economic context in which this photograph was made, recognizing the global flow of images and ideas that continue to shape our world today.