Jérusalem, Birket-Hammam-Setty-Mariam 1854 - 1859

This is an albumen silver print of Jérusalem, Birket-Hammam-Setty-Mariam, by Auguste Salzmann. Salzmann, a French archeologist and photographer, made this image during an 1854 trip to Jerusalem. He was part of a larger Western European and American movement to document the Holy Land through photography, a venture that often intertwined scientific inquiry with religious and colonial interests. In the mid-19th century, photography was celebrated for its supposed objectivity, but here, we should consider how Salzmann’s position as a European man influenced his gaze. What stories did he choose to tell? What did he leave out? The photograph emphasizes the stark, architectural elements of Jerusalem, potentially reinforcing a Western view of the East as ancient and unchanging. Yet, the site is also known as the Pool of Mary, a site of healing, and the birthplace of Mary, revered in both Christianity and Islam. Think about how this image reflects both the power of representation and the complex layers of history embedded within a single place.