Jagers waden door het water, vermoedelijk aan de kust bij Arcachon 1898

This photograph, by Delizy, shows two hunters wading through water, probably taken at Arcachon. The photographic process itself is key to understanding this image, with its sepia tones and carefully composed scene. Photography in this era, still relatively new, involved a complex interplay of chemistry, optics, and skilled labor. The gelatin silver process, likely used here, required coating glass plates with light-sensitive emulsion, exposing them in a camera, and then developing them in a darkroom. This labor-intensive process contrasts sharply with our contemporary digital photography, where images are captured and shared instantly. Consider the social context: photography offered a way for the bourgeoisie to document their leisure activities like hunting, reflecting a shift in class dynamics. The very act of photographing these men, with their guns and tweed jackets, speaks to the rise of consumer culture and the desire to capture moments of leisure and status. By focusing on the materiality and making of this photograph, we can begin to understand its cultural and social significance, challenging traditional notions about fine art versus everyday practice.