Gezicht op Edinburgh Castle en Grassmarket c. 1862 - 1867

This is a photograph of Edinburgh Castle and Grassmarket by Archibald Burns, printed as a book plate. The photographic process itself is key to understanding this image. Photography emerged from a desire to capture reality with precision. Burns’s black and white photo shows the Castle and Grassmarket through a lens, but also through a social and cultural one. The tones and textures we see in the print result from a complex interplay of light, chemistry, and paper. Early photography, like this example, involved meticulous labor from mixing chemicals to carefully timing exposures. Beyond the aesthetic appeal, photography has implications for labor, politics, and consumption. As a relatively accessible medium, it democratized image making, challenging traditional hierarchies between fine art and craft. The image of the Edinburgh Castle and Grassmarket, once captured, could be reproduced and distributed widely, influencing perceptions of place and culture. It is a perfect testament to the ways in which materials and techniques have a social and cultural significance, bridging what we think of as art, craft, and the everyday.