City Hall c. 1883 - 1888

This is a photographic print of City Hall, by M.P. Warner. We don't have an exact date, but its material qualities speak volumes. The image is finely detailed and has been carefully composed. It suggests the use of a large format camera, which would have been standard for architectural photography at the time. The print itself has a smooth, matte surface, likely achieved through a chemical development process. These techniques, while now commonplace, represent a significant industrial advancement. They allowed for the mass production of images, transforming photography from a niche craft into a powerful tool for documentation and dissemination of information. The photograph isn't just a neutral record of reality; it's a testament to the social and technological forces that shaped the late 19th century. The building itself speaks to the labor and resources that went into its construction. And the photograph, in turn, speaks to the democratizing potential of mechanical reproduction.