View of Moscow c. 1850s

Ferdinand Bureau made this photograph, "View of Moscow," sometime in the 19th century. Its sepia tones come from the wet collodion process, a popular method at the time for its relatively short exposure times and sharp detail. The process involves coating a glass plate with light-sensitive chemicals. When developed, this creates a negative, which can then be used to make multiple prints on paper. The resulting image has a soft, almost painterly quality, despite its photographic origins. Consider the labor involved: preparing the chemicals, coating the plates, taking the photograph, developing the negative, and finally, making the print. It was a far cry from today’s point-and-shoot digital photography. Back then, photography was a craft as much as it was a science, requiring careful skill. It's a great example of how "art" isn't just about the final image, but about the entire chain of production that brings it into being.