Tempel van Luxor c. 1870 - 1898

This photograph of the Temple of Luxor was made by Maison Bonfils. Photography in the 19th century involved complex chemistry, artisanal darkroom practice, and of course, the social labor of going out into the world and finding compelling subjects. This image is a salted paper print, an early photographic process, lending it a soft, textured quality, distinct from the crispness of later photographic methods. The sepia tones evoke a sense of timelessness. But consider also the cultural context. The act of photographing the Temple transforms an ancient site into a commodity, a souvenir for Western consumption. The labor is not just in the darkroom but in the colonial project itself, extracting images and knowledge from distant lands. The very act of capturing this image is tied to wider issues of politics and consumption. So next time you look at this image, remember that it embodies social and material processes. Appreciating these aspects helps us to look beyond the surface to see the fuller meaning of the artwork.