Kloof in de Gorges du Cians in de Alpes-Maritimes 1903

This evocative photograph of the Gorges du Cians in the Alpes-Maritimes was created by Delizy using the 19th-century process of albumen print. The albumen print process involves coating paper with egg white and silver nitrate, then exposing it to light through a negative. This labor-intensive method was a cornerstone of early commercial photography, valued for its fine detail and tonal range. The sepia tones of the print emphasize the rocky textures of the gorge, creating a sense of depth. Consider the effort involved: from sourcing eggs and preparing the emulsion to meticulously printing the image. This reflects a pre-digital era where image-making was a craft, deeply intertwined with chemistry and manual skill. Such processes democratized image production but also reveal the amount of work that went into what we now take for granted. It reminds us that every image carries the trace of human action.