Close No. 267 High Street 1897

James Craig Annan made this photograph, Close No. 267 High Street, using a process called photogravure. This involves etching a photographic image onto a copper plate, and then using that plate to make a print. It's like a hybrid of photography and printmaking. The material qualities of photogravure lend the image a soft, almost painterly quality, with rich tonal variations. Notice how the texture of the stone walls and the cobblestone street are rendered in great detail. Annan's choice of this process, rooted in both industrial techniques and skilled craftsmanship, is significant. He elevated photography to the realm of fine art, challenging traditional hierarchies. The photogravure process requires meticulous labor, highlighting the amount of work involved in creating the image. It also prompts us to think about the social context of the scene itself: the close, or narrow alleyway, as a site of urban life and labor in late 19th-century Glasgow. By emphasizing material, making, and context, we can appreciate Annan's photograph as more than just a record of a place, but as a commentary on the intersection of art, industry, and everyday life.