Jérusalem, Couvent Arménien, Ornements, 2 1854 - 1859

Auguste Salzmann made this photograph of the Armenian Convent in Jerusalem using the Calotype process. This early photographic technique involved using paper coated with silver iodide, exposed in a camera, and then developed. Salzmann's choice of the calotype, rather than a sharper alternative, lends a soft, almost ethereal quality to the image. Look closely at the stone wall: the texture is palpable, yet the details of the carvings are gently blurred. This emphasizes the weight and age of the stone, while adding a sense of timelessness. The calotype was significant because it allowed for multiple prints to be made from a single negative. This aligned photography with an emerging culture of mass production. Salzmann’s images, documenting architecture and archeology, were part of a broader project of cultural preservation, and also reflect the colonial gaze of 19th-century Europe. This photograph prompts us to consider the materials, labor, and intent behind its making, alongside the image itself.