Vier passagiers op zee aan boord van de Hohenzollern 1889

This albumen print, by Paul Güssfeldt, shows four passengers at sea onboard the Hohenzollern. The choice of albumen—made from egg whites—highlights photography’s dual nature as both technology and craft. Looking at this print, consider the immense labor that made possible this seemingly candid snapshot. The ship itself, a marvel of industrial production, depended on armies of workers. Then there's the travel itself, enabled by vast systems of global commerce and extraction. Even the photographic process, from coating the glass plate to developing the print, involved meticulous handwork and specialized knowledge. Through the lens of craft, the photograph becomes a potent reminder of the complex networks of labor, materials, and power that underpinned leisure and mobility in the 19th century. It challenges us to consider the social and economic forces that shape our world, both then and now.