Gezicht op het Noordereiland en de Koningshaven c. 1878 - 1900

This albumen print shows a view of the Noordereiland and the Koningshaven, and was made by F. von Pöppinghausen, who was active in the late 19th century. Photography in this period was a complex alchemical process. Glass plate negatives coated with light-sensitive emulsion, and elaborate darkroom procedures were required to produce an image. The sepia tones of this print are characteristic of the albumen process, which used egg whites to bind the silver salts to the paper. Consider the labor involved in producing this image. From the preparation of the photographic materials to the exposure, development, and printing, each step required skill and precision. While photography democratized image-making to some extent, it also created new forms of labor and expertise. The very materiality of this photograph bears witness to a specific moment in time, encapsulating the rise of industrial capitalism and its impact on both labor and modes of representation. The photograph is a window into a world shaped by industry, trade, and technology, inviting us to reflect on the complex relationship between art, labor, and social change.