Entrance to the Five Genii Temple, Canton, April 1860 1860

Felice Beato captured this albumen print, "Entrance to the Five Genii Temple, Canton" in April 1860, using a process that was both scientific and steeped in craft. The albumen, derived from egg whites, acts as a binder for the photographic chemicals on paper. This creates a surface to capture the light and shadow of the temple entrance. What’s interesting here is how the photographic process itself becomes part of the story. The tonal range and clarity achieved through albumen printing allowed Beato to document details of the temple’s architecture, and the textures of the brick and tiled roof structures. Note, too, how the figures in the foreground and temple entrance give scale. Each of these elements speak to China’s built environment, aesthetic values, and social life. By emphasizing the materiality and the labor involved in the photographic process, we can appreciate this image not just as a record, but as a crafted object in itself. It invites us to consider the cultural and historical context in which it was made.