Prince of Wales and Princess Alice 1860s

John Jabez Edwin Mayall produced this photograph of the Prince of Wales and Princess Alice using the wet collodion process on glass, then tinted it by hand. This was cutting-edge technology at the time, making portraiture more accessible than painted miniatures, although still not cheap. The wet collodion process required coating a glass plate with chemicals, exposing it in the camera while still wet, and then developing it immediately. It was a labor-intensive process, demanding skill and speed. The hand-tinting further enhanced the image, adding a touch of color to bring the sitters to life. Each print therefore had a direct relationship to the artist's hand. Consider the social implications of this new technology. Photography democratized image-making, but also created a new market for skilled technicians. Mayall, as a successful photographer, occupied a fascinating place in the Victorian economy, profiting from both technological innovation and artistic skill. The photograph itself, with its carefully posed subjects and hand-applied color, reflects a society grappling with changing ideas about representation and labor.