Jérusalem, Vallée de Josaphat, Grottes sépulcrales, 2 1854 - 1859

Auguste Salzmann captured this albumen print, "Jérusalem, Vallée de Josaphat, Grottes sépulcrales, 2", during a mid-nineteenth century expedition to Jerusalem. Salzmann was commissioned to photograph sites of Biblical significance, which were then presented as objective records. His work, however, also became entangled with European colonial interests. While Salzmann's images promoted a sense of scientific accuracy, they also romanticized the 'Orient', reinforcing Western perceptions and power dynamics. This photograph invites us to reflect on the act of seeing and documenting. What stories do we tell when we frame a culture through a lens? What perspectives remain unseen? The sepulchral caves are rendered with a stark, ghostly presence, evoking a sense of timelessness but also absence. Salzmann invites a dialogue between historical record and the complex layers of cultural interpretation.