Entree van de kleine tempel te Aboe Simbel before 1862

This image of the entrance of the small temple at Abu Simbel was made by Francis Frith in the 19th century. Frith was a pioneering photographer who traveled extensively, documenting landscapes and architecture. This photograph is a stereo card, printed on albumen silver. This process, popular in the 1800s, involved coating paper with egg white and silver nitrate, creating a glossy surface sensitive to light. The albumen print process demanded precision, from coating the paper to developing the image. Each step influenced the final tone and clarity. But consider, too, Frith's role as a commercial photographer, operating within the context of Victorian England and the industrial revolution. Mass production enabled the distribution of stereo cards like this one, catering to a growing market of consumers eager to experience faraway lands through the lens of photography. This image reflects both artistic skill and the rise of mass media. In doing so, it challenges the traditional divide between fine art and commodity.