Fotomontage van drie watervallen nabij Québec before 1894

This photographic montage of three waterfalls near Québec was made by Jules-Ernest Livernois, sometime between the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It's an albumen print, a process that was popular at the time for its sharp detail and the warm tones it could produce. Think about the labor involved. Each photograph was meticulously taken, printed, and then carefully arranged into this montage. The albumen print process itself was quite involved, requiring the use of egg whites to create the light-sensitive coating on the paper. This was painstaking work. In a way, this montage is a product of its time – a time when photography was becoming more accessible, but still required significant skill and effort. The choice of subject matter, the waterfalls, also speaks to the growing interest in natural landscapes as tourist attractions, and of the cultural importance of these landscapes in people's imagination. When we consider the materials and processes used to create it, we start to see how this artwork reflects the social and cultural values of its time. It is a testament to the skill of the photographer, but also to the broader cultural shifts that were taking place in society.