Exterieur van het stadhuis van Sydney (Sydney Town Hall) c. 1890 - 1910

This photographic print of Sydney Town Hall was made by Charles Bayliss in the late nineteenth century, using the wet collodion process. This technique required coating a glass plate with light-sensitive chemicals, exposing it in the camera while still wet, and then immediately developing it. The tonal range is subtle, due to the inherent qualities of the collodion emulsion. The scene is rendered in soft focus, a result of the camera’s lens and the limited sensitivity of the process. You can almost feel the thick, almost viscous nature of the emulsion. The amount of labor involved is also worth considering. This wasn't a point-and-shoot operation. The photographer had to be a skilled chemist, darkroom technician, and artist all in one. The final result is a testament to the craft involved, not just in the taking of the picture, but also in the making of the photographic object itself. Recognizing these aspects helps us appreciate the artistic vision, and the labor that went into producing it.