Part of the Entrance to the Lama Temple Near Pekin, October 1860 1860

This photograph of the Lama Temple near Peking was captured by Felice Beato in October 1860, using the collodion process to create a salted paper print. The collodion process was revolutionary for its time, requiring a portable darkroom to prepare, expose, and develop the glass plate negatives on-site. Beato's choice of this process speaks to his intention to document the world with a then-modern technology. The albumen print, made from a paper coated with egg white, gives the image a distinctive sheen and depth, highlighting the intricate carvings and stonework of the temple entrance. Consider the labor involved: from quarrying and carving the stone, to the meticulous photographic process. The photograph itself becomes a document of cultural exchange and perhaps even exploitation, raising questions about the photographer's role in representing a place and culture far from his own. It makes you consider the wider social issues of labor, politics, and consumption in the mid-19th century.