The Hippopotamus at the Zoological Gardens, Regent's Park 1852

This is a photograph of a hippopotamus at the London Zoo, taken by Juan de Borbón. The process used here, likely albumen printing, was quite labor-intensive. The artist had to sensitize paper with silver nitrate, expose it to light through a negative, and then carefully develop and fix the image. The material quality of the photograph itself—the tones, textures, and clarity—results from this hands-on process, which lies between science and craft. In its own way, photography became a kind of industrial practice. Consider the social context of this image: a royal visiting a public zoo, observing an animal held in captivity for the entertainment and education of the masses. The photograph encapsulates a moment in time, but also reflects the labor, class, and power dynamics inherent in both its production and subject matter. By acknowledging these elements, we can appreciate how photography, like craft, can be deeply embedded in social and economic realities, challenging any neat distinctions between high art and everyday life.