Gezicht op het Amerikaanse Burgeroorlogsmonument in Waltham, Massachusetts before 1879

This albumen print of the American Civil War monument in Waltham, Massachusetts, was made by Thomas R. Lewis sometime in the late 19th century. The albumen process, invented in 1850, involved coating paper with egg white and silver nitrate, creating a surface sensitive to light. This labor-intensive method yielded photographs with fine detail and a distinctive sepia tone, like the one we see here. Think of it: each print required a fresh egg! The monument itself, made of stone, stands as a testament to a fractured nation, and the lives lost in the Civil War. It represents a solemn commitment, made visible through the work of stone carvers and construction workers. The photograph, made with light-sensitive materials, immortalizes both the monument, and the collective effort invested in it. These photographs remind us that making is always part of a wider social context. Whether it's laying stone or mixing albumen, artistic choices are always bound to the world around us.