Moulins a eau en Auvergne Possibly 1852 - 1978

Edouard Baldus made this photograph, Moulins a eau en Auvergne, using the collodion process, a then-new method that allowed for detailed and reproducible images. This technique involved coating a glass plate with a light-sensitive emulsion, exposing it in the camera, and then developing it immediately. The process itself had a social impact, it democratized image-making. In this photograph, you can see watermills, a crucial part of the 19th-century economy. Built from stone and wood, the mills harnessed water power, to grind grain into flour. Baldus’ photograph, beyond its aesthetic appeal, captures a moment in industrial history, where traditional craftsmanship intersected with emerging technologies. The very act of capturing this scene with a camera—a relatively new technology at the time—introduces a layer of industrial intervention into a rural landscape. Baldus's work reminds us of the intricate relationship between technology, labor, and the transformation of our environment.