[Imagerie Franklin] c. 1876 - 1880

This is a photograph album, of indeterminate date and origin, likely made from bookboard covered in leather. Notice the tooling around the central cartouche, and the raised bands at the spine; these suggest that this was quite a high-end item. Consider the labor involved in its construction; tanning the hide, preparing the boards, the hand-application of glue and gold leaf. These are time-intensive processes. By contrast, the word ‘ALBUM’ is stamped by machine, a sign of industrialization creeping into even luxury goods. The album’s function relates to social and cultural shifts as well. Photography emerged in the 19th century as an elite pursuit, and only later became democratized. Originally, portraits, landscapes, and documents of travel were preserved in albums like this one, for the delectation of the moneyed classes. So while the binding may at first seem like a humble piece of craft, it really speaks to the complex ways in which technology, labor, and class are interwoven.