Gezicht op een romeinse brug in het Anti-Libanon gebergte 1850 - 1900

This photograph of a Roman bridge in the Anti-Lebanon Mountains was made by Maison Bonfils. It is a beautiful demonstration of the albumin print process, popular at the time for its ability to capture fine detail and tonal range. This involved coating paper with a mixture of egg white and salts, then sensitizing it with silver nitrate before exposure to light through a negative. The warm sepia tones speak to the material properties of the albumin, while the clarity reveals the Bonfils' technical expertise. The final print would have been a luxury object at the time, brought home by tourists as a memento of their travels, or purchased by armchair travelers eager for a glimpse of faraway lands. The photograph thus became a valuable commodity. Considered in this way, we realize that this image is much more than a picturesque view. It is also a product of colonial-era tourism, and of the labor invested in both the construction of the bridge, and the skilled work of photographic production.