Khan Minyeh, the reputed site of Ancient Capernaum before 1866

This photograph of Khan Minyeh, the reputed site of Ancient Capernaum, was created by Francis Bedford sometime in the mid-19th century. It’s an albumen print, a process that involves coating paper with egg white to create a glossy surface on which the photographic image is developed. The choice of albumen is significant here. While on the one hand it's a readily available organic material, it also speaks to photography’s status at this time, caught between art and industry. The photographic process required a precise blend of chemistry, optics, and manual skill; a skilled artisan to create the image and develop the print. Bedford's choice of albumen links his work to the history of craft practices, even as it embraces new technologies of image-making. It suggests that the value and meaning of a photograph isn't just in its representational accuracy, but also in the labor, materials, and techniques that go into its creation. It challenges us to consider photography not just as a mechanical reproduction, but also as a crafted object.