Interieur van de kathedraal van Monreale, Sicilië 1857 - 1914

This photograph of the Monreale Cathedral in Sicily was taken by Giorgio Sommer sometime in the mid-19th century. It’s a fairly straightforward albumen print, a popular method at the time, involving coating paper with egg whites and silver nitrate, then exposing it to light through a negative. Now, what's interesting is how Sommer uses this new technology to document a very old space. The cathedral itself is a testament to skilled craftsmanship. The columns, the mosaics, and the overall architecture speak to a deep understanding of materials and construction, pointing to a time when making things was a central part of cultural expression. Sommer's photograph captures this moment, freezing it in time. But it also reflects the changing world, where mass production and industrialization were beginning to reshape society. Photography, as a new medium, was part of this shift, offering a way to document and disseminate images more quickly and widely than ever before. The photograph therefore prompts us to consider the relationship between tradition and modernity, and how new technologies can both preserve and transform our understanding of the past.