Gezicht op het Monte Carlo Casino 1889 - 1893

Johanna Margaretha Piek made this photograph of the Monte Carlo Casino using a camera and photographic printing process, sometime between the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The sepia tone of the print speaks to its historical era. The chemical processes used in early photography--the development of negatives, the careful timing of exposures, the alchemy of the darkroom--have imbued the image with social significance. Photography, in its time, democratized image-making. Whereas painting and drawing were skills that took years to acquire, and thus tended to be deployed by the elite, photography offered a relatively accessible way to document the world. This is not to say that it was without labor; early photographers needed training, equipment, and a dedicated workspace. But figures like Piek expanded creative expression and aesthetic possibilities beyond the traditional bounds of art. By understanding the means of production, we can better appreciate the democratizing potential of photography and challenge traditional distinctions between fine art and craft.