Gezicht op Malta before 1899

This is a photographic print of Malta, in an album assembled by Augusta Victoria, the Empress of Germany. Photography, of course, is a chemical process, not a manual one. Yet it too involves choices and considerable skill. The photographer frames the shot, perhaps using a large-format camera like the one that would have been used here. The image would have been captured on a glass plate, then developed and printed, all requiring meticulous attention to detail. Augusta Victoria, as Empress, would not have done this work herself, but rather would have overseen a team of experts. Her role was to decide what was worth documenting. Malta, with its grand architecture and busy harbor, clearly made the cut. The result is a document of imperial interest, carefully composed. We can consider this album as a work of craft, just like any other. It testifies to the labor of many hands, and the vision of a powerful woman.