Aubrey de Vere 1866 - 1868

This is a portrait of Aubrey de Vere, made by Julia Margaret Cameron sometime in the 19th century, using the wet collodion process. This photographic method, very popular at the time, involved coating a glass plate with chemicals, exposing it in the camera while still wet, and then immediately developing it. The resulting print on paper is not just an image, but a material record of a complex series of chemical reactions, and physical acts carried out in the darkroom. Look closely, and you'll notice the soft focus and the imperfections on the surface. Rather than detracting from the image, these qualities emphasize the human touch involved in the making process, setting Cameron’s work apart from purely mechanical modes of production. Cameron elevated photography to the status of high art by highlighting process and materiality, and questioning traditional hierarchies.