Gezicht op Château Grand-Puy-Ducasse in Pauillac, Frankrijk before 1867

This is a photograph of Château Grand-Puy-Ducasse in Pauillac, France, taken by Alfred Danflou. The image itself, likely a salted paper print, is inherently indexical, a direct trace of light reflecting off the Château and fixing onto treated paper. Consider the labor involved. From the cultivation of the vineyard to the architectural construction of the Château itself, the photograph captures the output of countless hours of work. The paper it’s printed on, the glass plates used for the negative, the chemicals for development – all required manufacturing processes, each with its own chain of labor and resource extraction. The photograph's aesthetic qualities – its sepia tones, its sharp focus – are also products of specific technical processes. The final image, carefully mounted in an album, elevates it beyond a mere document. By emphasizing the materiality and production, we recognize photography's complex status – both a documentary tool and an art form.