Former professors of science before 1882

This photographic print, by William H. Tipton, is a memento of the labor involved in academic life. It's a page from an album, a carefully-considered composition of seven individual albumen prints, a popular technique in the late 19th century using egg whites to bind the photographic chemicals to the paper. The sepia tones are characteristic of the process, giving the image a nostalgic feel, even at the time. Beyond the science professors portrayed, consider also the labor of the photographer, Tipton. He would have meticulously prepared the photographic plates, exposed them in the camera, and then developed and printed the images. Each step demanded technical skill, a sensitivity to light and chemistry, and a steady hand. Finally, the assembly of the album itself, pasting each portrait into place, reflects a conscious act of preservation, a tribute to the value of education and intellectual work. Looking at the photograph, we can see how photography could be an important part of the academic world and its culture of display and celebration of knowledge.