The cathedral, Mechlin before 1866

This albumen print of The Cathedral Mechlin, made by Cundall & Fleming, freezes a moment in time. In its making, the print combines artistry and industrialization, a hybrid medium that was very popular in the Victorian era. To create an albumen print like this, the artists would have coated paper with albumen – that’s egg white – and then sensitized it with silver nitrate. The negative, placed on top, was then exposed to sunlight until the image appeared. This required precision and patience, a dance between craft and chemistry. The final print has a distinctive look: smooth surface and fine detail. This was a means of democratizing imagery, making the wonders of the world available to a broad audience. Looking at this image, we can consider the larger context of labor and consumption that such images represented. Photography in this period provided compelling windows onto the world, helping to break down traditional hierarchies of art and experience.