Inlet to tunnel- Loch Katrine with Water Committee and commissioners, August 24th 1876 Possibly 1876 - 1878

T. & R. Annan & Sons made this photograph in 1876 to commemorate the opening of the Loch Katrine waterworks. It’s a fascinating image, not least for what it tells us about the relationship between photography and industrial progress. Consider the albumen print, created using a painstaking chemical process. It's a relatively new technology here being employed to document another feat of engineering. The massive stone structure is also a result of human labor, requiring skilled stone masons and countless hours of work. The photograph immortalizes this achievement, with the Water Committee and commissioners lined up, proud of their accomplishment. The image, like the waterworks themselves, speaks to a Victorian faith in technology and progress. Both the making of the photograph and the Loch Katrine project embody the social and technological advancements of the era. The photograph, thus, is not just a record, but a monument in itself. It reminds us to look closely at the materials and methods of production that shape our world.