Een straatgezicht in Surabaya 1876 - 1884

This photograph, "A Street View in Surabaya," was made by Herman Salzwedel. It’s a contact print, probably albumen, adhered to a card. The making of this image would have been a meticulous, alchemical process. Glass plate negatives were coated with light-sensitive emulsion. They were then contact-printed onto albumen paper, which used egg whites to create a smooth surface. This was a highly skilled job, requiring careful attention to detail, especially when working in hot climates. What you see here is not just a picture of a street, but also the result of a very specific industrial process. Photography in this period was an expensive, labor-intensive affair, and this image speaks to the technologies and global trade networks that made such photographs possible. The relative scarcity of photographs during this time adds to the aura. The image encourages us to think about the social and economic context in which it was produced. And by considering its making, we can appreciate it all the more.