Fontein van Santa Lucia te Napels, Italië 1857 - 1914

This photograph of the Fountain of Santa Lucia in Naples, Italy, was taken by Giorgio Sommer, likely in the late 19th century. It's a salt print, a process involving paper soaked in a salt solution, then coated with silver nitrate. The negative is placed on this prepared paper, exposed to light, and then developed and fixed, resulting in a print with a slightly soft, textured appearance. The image captures a bustling marketplace, complete with vendors and their carts. The fountain, with its classical architecture, stands in stark contrast to the scene. Look closer, and you will notice the laundry hanging, and the working boats on the water. Photography in this era was a labor-intensive process, demanding expertise in chemistry and optics. But it was also becoming increasingly accessible, providing a new way to document and disseminate images of the world. Sommer was part of a network that industrialized the souvenir trade. Ultimately, this photograph is not just a record of a place, but also a window into the social and economic realities of 19th-century Naples, reminding us that all images are made, not simply taken.