John Boyle c. 1865

Lemuel S. Hicks made this photograph of John Boyle using the wet collodion process. This was a popular photographic technique in the mid-19th century, requiring the photographer to coat a glass plate with light-sensitive chemicals, expose it in a camera, and develop it, all before the collodion dried. The albumen print reveals the subject’s likeness and the material conditions of the studio, while highlighting the relationship between photography and labor. The making of photographs like this one often took place in commercial studios, where skilled artisans combined science and art. Light and shadow, combined with the immobility of the sitter were essential to achieve detail in the final print. The final product was sold as an affordable commodity for personal use. This image challenges traditional hierarchies between art and craft, revealing the labour involved in the process of photographic production. While the photograph may appear to be a straightforward representation of reality, it is the result of careful execution, technical expertise, and a complex set of social and economic relationships.