Le pont au fleuve du chien 1870s

This photograph, "Le pont au fleuve du chien," was taken by Félix Bonfils in the late 19th century, using the then-innovative wet collodion process. The albumen print, made from a glass negative, yields a warm sepia tone, characteristic of the era, and speaks to the labor-intensive process of early photography, where each print was individually crafted. Look closely, and you'll notice the incredible detail achieved by Bonfils, capturing the rugged texture of the landscape, the gentle flow of the river, and the architectural form of the bridge. Photography in this period was not just about documenting the world, but about creating a specific image of it. The very act of producing these images involved a distinct visual culture tied to colonialism and orientalism, where photographs became commodities, shaping perceptions of distant lands for Western audiences. Bonfils' photograph offers a fascinating look at how photography became intertwined with commerce, culture, and the gaze of the West.