Brug door de Trientkloof nabij Martigny, Zwitserland 1868

Ernest Eléonor Pierre Lamy made this photograph of a bridge in the Trient gorge near Martigny, Switzerland, using a camera and photographic paper. It’s a relatively small object, but the process of creating it was quite involved. To make this albumen print, Lamy would have coated paper with a layer of egg white and then sensitized it with silver nitrate. The negative, likely a glass plate also prepared with light-sensitive chemicals, was then placed on top of the paper, and exposed to sunlight. The duration of exposure determined the image's contrast and depth. Think of the labor: quarrying and milling wood for the bridge, forging metal for the fixings. Then consider the chemistry involved in creating the photograph itself, and how Lamy carefully balanced his materials to make the image come to life. All of this speaks to the ingenuity of the 19th century. It's a testament to the combined efforts of human skill and material transformation.