Mannen bij een café in Caïro c. 1886s

This albumen print, entitled "Men at a café in Cairo," was created by Maison Bonfils, a photography studio active in the late 19th century. The print is made using the albumen process, where paper is coated with egg white to create a glossy surface for the photographic emulsion. This process yields a sepia tone and captures a high level of detail. The subject matter is a seemingly candid scene of men enjoying a local café. What makes this more than a simple snapshot is the way in which the photograph was created. The albumen process required skill and labor, from preparing the paper to developing the print. The Bonfils studio, like many commercial photography businesses of the time, efficiently produced images for a growing market eager to consume views of the "Orient." The image, therefore, not only captures a moment in time but also reflects the dynamics of labor, consumption, and cultural representation in the 19th century. This reminds us to think of photography as a process.