Savannah River, near Savannah, GA 1866

George N. Barnard captured this photograph, Savannah River, near Savannah, GA, using photographic techniques that were relatively new at the time. Photography in the 19th century was a complex alchemical process; light was harnessed through lenses and silver halides, bringing an image into being on a treated plate. The heavy camera, the glass plates, the portable darkroom… all of these placed the photographer in the position of a technician and a craftsman. Barnard’s choice of subject is especially significant. He turned his lens on the American South, a landscape deeply intertwined with the history of slavery and exploitation of both human and natural resources, its somber beauty juxtaposed with a brutal past. It's easy to look at this photograph as a straightforward depiction, but it is also a document that subtly reflects the social and economic realities of its time. By considering the materials and the making, we can understand how photography itself is not just a medium for capturing images, but also a craft embedded in its historical context.