Tombeau de Rachel 1870s

Félix Bonfils created this albumen print, "Tombeau de Rachel," using a process that was as much chemistry as it was artistry. Albumen printing, popular in the mid-19th century, involved coating paper with egg white to create a glossy surface for the photographic emulsion. This labor-intensive process demanded meticulous preparation and precise timing to achieve the desired tonal range and clarity. The rich sepia tones we see here are characteristic of albumen prints, a result of the chemical reactions during development. Bonfils, one of the first commercial photographers in the Middle East, captured this image with a technical mastery that belies the challenges of working in a remote location with cumbersome equipment. The final print, mounted on card stock, served as a portable souvenir for European tourists eager to possess a tangible piece of the Holy Land. This photograph, therefore, speaks not only to Bonfils' skill, but also to the burgeoning tourism industry and the Western fascination with the East, all mediated by the meticulous craft of albumen printing.