Exterieur van het Monte Carlo Casino c. 1890 - 1900

This photograph of the Monte Carlo Casino was captured by Schroeder & Cie. The photographic process itself has shaped our understanding of the casino's architecture and surrounding environment. In this print, light is the primary agent. A chemical reaction on the photographic plate has translated the sun's rays into a spectrum of sepia tones, defining the contours of the building and the patterns of light and shadow. The technical skill needed to produce a high-quality image, and the cost of the materials, made photography a relatively exclusive medium at the time. In this sense, the photograph itself mirrors the exclusivity associated with the casino. It's a world of high stakes and high society, captured through a technology that, while innovative, also carried its own weight of social and economic meaning. Paying attention to the materials, the making, and the context gives us a fuller appreciation of this photograph, challenging the divide between fine art and documentation.