The Devil's Auction 1867

This albumen print, "The Devil's Auction," was produced in 1867 by Jeremiah Gurney, a prominent New York photographer. It belongs to a specific historical moment when photography was becoming a business. Gurney took advantage of the carte-de-visite craze, using a wet collodion process that allowed for multiple prints from a single negative, an early form of mechanical reproduction. These prints, made on paper coated with a light-sensitive emulsion, democratized image-making in a way previously unimaginable. What interests me most is how this material process links to social and cultural shifts. Photography, once a laborious and expensive practice, became accessible, feeding a growing consumer culture. The professionalization of photography as a trade, mass production, and consumption reflect the evolving relationship between art, labor, and the market. It challenges the traditional boundaries between fine art and commercial craft.