Gezicht op het paviljoen van E. de Beukelaer & Cie op de Wereldtentoonstelling van Antwerpen in 1894 1894

Charles Bernhoeft made this albumen silver print in 1894, capturing the pavilion of E. de Beukelaer & Cie at the Antwerp World Fair. Photography in the 19th century involved a range of chemical processes. The albumen print, popular then, used paper coated with egg white to create a smooth surface for the light-sensitive silver compounds. The result? A detailed, glossy image like the one you see here. Note the pavilion's elaborate, almost fantastical design – an eye-catching building to promote the company's biscuits. This photograph served as an advertisement, one that speaks volumes about the era’s industrial aspirations. Bernhoeft’s composition emphasizes the pavilion's architectural detail, highlighting its construction and hinting at the industrial labor behind the scenes. Understanding the materiality of this photograph – the albumen, the silver, the paper – allows us to appreciate how photography was as much a craft as it was a technological advancement. It underscores the value of photographs like this, showing the close relationship between art, industry, and the visual culture of the time.