Chiesa di San Gregorio, Messina 1865 - 1888

Giorgio Sommer made this photograph of the Chiesa di San Gregorio in Messina, Italy using the wet collodion process. In this technique, a glass plate was coated with a light-sensitive chemical emulsion right before exposure in the camera, while still wet. The process demanded considerable skill, and also speed, requiring the photographer to work in portable darkrooms. Sommer made many such images, selling them as tourist souvenirs. Think about the amount of work that would have gone into each print. It isn't just the photographer's labor, but also that of those who built the church in the first place. Look at that spiraling tower! Photography like this gives us a glimpse into a whole network of industriousness. By considering the social and material context, we realize that this isn't just an image, but a record of human endeavor.