Tarascon, Viaduc 1855 - 1859

This photograph, "Tarascon, Viaduc," was made by Edouard Baldus using a process called albumen silver print, a technique that renders incredible detail. Consider the context: photography at this time was itself a rapidly developing technology, increasingly intertwined with industrial and infrastructural projects. In this case, Baldus has documented a viaduct, likely a railway bridge, that is an emblem of modern engineering. The robust stone construction of the pillars and the elegant ironwork of the bridge itself speak to a marriage of craft tradition and the machine age. The sheer amount of work involved in building this structure – quarrying, transporting, and setting the stones, forging and assembling the iron – isn't immediately apparent, but the scale of the viaduct speaks volumes about the labor involved. Baldus has framed it all for us, making the bridge a symbol of human endeavor and technological progress. Recognizing the relationship between the making of the image, and the making of the bridge, allows us to appreciate the cultural significance of both.