Gezicht op gebouwen, tuin en fontein van de Wereldtentoonstelling te Philadelphia in 1876 1876

This albumen print shows the Main Building, grounds, and fountain of the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia, taken in 1876 by the Centennial Photographic Company. Photography in the 19th century demanded a mastery of chemistry and optics, with photographers like those at the Centennial Photographic Company using their technical skills and artistic vision. They captured the scale and ambition of the international exposition, whose very purpose was to demonstrate America's industrial and cultural prowess. The albumen printing process involved coating paper with egg white and silver nitrate, creating a surface sensitive to light. When exposed through a negative, the paper revealed a detailed image. This laborious and skilled process was a marvel of its time. This process allowed for mass production and distribution, capturing the spirit of progress and innovation championed by the exposition. The very materials and processes used to create this image, and the context in which it was produced, are inextricable from its content.