Statencollege of Westfries Museum te Hoorn 1855 - 1900

This is an albumen print of the Statencollege of Westfries Museum in Hoorn, made by Gerrit Dirk Siewers, probably in the late 19th century. Photography was a relatively new medium at this time, requiring a complex and alchemical process. The albumen process involved coating paper with egg white and silver nitrate, making it sensitive to light. The photographer would then use a large format camera and glass plate negative to capture the image, requiring time and expertise, as well as investment in equipment and materials. This image would likely have been produced as a commercial product for sale to tourists or locals, fitting into a broader economy of image-making. Though photography democratized image-making to some extent, the laborious processes involved meant that it still required a certain amount of skill, effort, and resources to produce a photograph like this one. The result is a carefully composed image that captures the architectural details of the building. Thinking about the material and processes involved in its making allows us to understand its cultural significance.