Gezicht op een ambassade met een groep mannen ervoor Buchara before 1885

This anonymous photograph shows an embassy in Bukhara with a group of men, and was reproduced in a book. The photographic process itself involved a complex set of chemical reactions on paper, resulting in this sepia-toned image. Consider how different this image might have been if captured through other methods. The sharp lines and clear tonal range speak to the photographer’s engagement with contemporary industrial advancements in photography, and its means of production. Also, think about the labor involved in its making. The photographer and their assistants likely spent hours setting up the shot, developing the negative, and printing the final image. Then, this image was printed in a book, that takes a whole team of laborers to accomplish, from paper-making to printing. By considering all the materials and processes, we can better understand this image as both a work of art, and a product of complex cultural and industrial forces.