Gezicht op Atrani en het huis van Masaniello 1864 - 1881

This albumen print, titled "View of Atrani and the house of Masaniello," was captured by Giacomo Brogi sometime in the mid-19th century. The process involves coating paper with a layer of egg white and silver nitrate, creating a surface sensitive to light. What strikes me is how this photographic technique, relatively new at the time, turns a landscape into an object of trade. Brogi was one of many photographers who captured the picturesque landscapes of Italy for a growing tourist market. Each print, made through a combination of chemical process and human skill, became a commodity, a souvenir of a particular place and experience. The sepia tones and soft focus, inherent to the albumen process, also contributed to a romantic vision of Italy, packaging the location for consumption. This image reminds us that even representations of places are made, and that they carry with them a complex history of labor, tourism, and the commodification of culture.