Avenue de l'Opéra in Parijs gezien richting het operagebouw c. 1880 - 1890

This photograph of the Avenue de l'Opéra in Paris, taken by an anonymous photographer, is an albumen print. This process, popular in the mid-19th century, involved coating paper with egg white and silver nitrate, creating a smooth surface for capturing fine details. Look closely and you'll see the albumen gives the image a warm, sepia tone and a subtle sheen. The photograph’s clarity provides a glimpse into the bustling street life of the time. This process, while seemingly straightforward, demanded a certain degree of skill in preparing the paper and controlling the exposure to achieve a well-defined image. The rise of photography was concurrent with the growth of industrial capitalism, offering a new means of documentation, representation and circulation of images. As a multiple, each print represents the commodification of an image. Understanding the material and the process through which this photograph was made offers a richer appreciation of its social and cultural significance, challenging the notion of photography as purely a form of artistic expression.