Stadsgezicht in Sousse 1860 - 1900

This is an albumen print of a street scene in Sousse, made by the photographer Albert. The albumen process, popular in the 19th century, involved coating paper with egg white and silver nitrate, creating a surface sensitive to light. This labor-intensive method yielded prints of remarkable detail, like those visible here in the North African architecture and the bustling street life. The photograph’s sepia tone, characteristic of albumen prints, adds a sense of nostalgia. Photography was itself a new industrial process at this time. These kinds of images were not only artistic expressions, but also documents of a rapidly changing world, distributed widely as commodities. By focusing on this particular subject, Albert participates in a long tradition of Western artists representing non-Western cultures, subtly reflecting the power dynamics of that time. So, when we look at this photograph, consider it not just as a window into a distant place, but also as an artifact of a specific moment in the history of image-making, colonialism, and cultural exchange.