Gezicht op de Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome, Italië, gezien vanaf de Via delle Quattro Fontane 1850 - 1900

This albumen print, made by Libreria Spithöver, captures the Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome. The albumen process, popular in the 19th century, involved coating paper with egg white and silver nitrate, making it sensitive to light. This print is more than just an image; it’s a chemical record of a specific time and place. The sepia tones result from the materials reacting over time, connecting the image to the history of photography itself. The process of making these prints was labor-intensive, requiring skill in chemistry and meticulous handling. Photographers like Spithöver were essentially craftspeople, blending art with industrial techniques. They were catering to a burgeoning market for travel souvenirs, linking the mass production of images to the rise of tourism and consumer culture. Thinking about this photograph through the lens of its making helps us appreciate not only the view it captures, but also the complex social and economic forces at play in its creation.