Gezicht op Monaco met rechts de oude vestingstad en op de voorgrond een treinstation c. 1870 - 1900

Étienne Neurdein captured this photograph of Monaco and its old fortified city using an albumen print, a process that involves coating paper with egg white to create a smooth surface for the photographic emulsion. The albumen print gives the image a unique visual quality, with its subtle tonal range and delicate details, but it also reflects the era's technological advancements and the rise of photography as a means of documentation and artistic expression. The image captures the stark contrast between the natural beauty of Monaco's landscape and the built environment, with the train station in the foreground symbolizing modernity's intrusion on the traditional way of life. Consider the labor involved in creating this image, from the photographer setting up their equipment to the workers constructing the railway. Photography, like other forms of production, was deeply intertwined with issues of labor and class. By considering these material and social dimensions, we gain a fuller appreciation of the photograph.