Gezicht op de Christ Church in Lucknow before 1874

This is a photograph of Christ Church in Lucknow, taken by Darogha Ubbas Alli, an Indian photographer active in the late 19th century. The albumen print, affixed to the album page, is made with a process involving paper coated with egg white and silver nitrate, exposed to light through a negative. It was a popular technique at the time, prized for its fine detail. But consider the labor involved. Eggs had to be collected, processed, and applied, then the print carefully developed. Think about the social context of the image as well: this is a British built church, captured by an Indian photographer, presumably for a Western audience. The albumen print, like many Victorian crafts, reveals a complex web of global exchange and labor practices. Recognizing these factors allows us to see the photograph not just as a record, but as a product of its time, imbued with the social and economic conditions of its making.