Village view near the Salween river, Myanmar 1870 - 1873

Colin Murray made this photograph of a village near the Salween River in Myanmar sometime in the late 19th century. It’s an albumen print, a process that involves coating paper with egg white to create a smooth surface for the photographic emulsion. The choice of this technique is telling. Photography at this time was caught between art and documentation. Albumen printing, with its delicate tonal range, allowed photographers to achieve a sense of artistry while also capturing precise details. The material reality of the scene – the textures of the palm trees, the thatched roofs of the houses, and the clothing of the villagers – are all rendered with clarity. Murray’s photograph is a reminder that even seemingly straightforward images are shaped by the materials and processes used to create them, reflecting social and cultural values of the time. Appreciating such photographs means looking closely at both the subject matter and the means of production.