Untitled (Portrait of a Standing Man Wearing a Fireman's Uniform) 1865

This portrait of a fireman was created with the wet collodion process, a photographic technique popular in the mid-19th century. A glass plate was coated with light-sensitive chemicals, exposed in a camera, and then developed immediately. The resulting image, known as an ambrotype, has a unique silvery quality and a distinctive tonal range. The final image is a testament to both the photographer’s skill and the material’s inherent qualities. Consider the labor involved in this kind of image making: from preparing the chemicals to carefully posing the subject, photography at the time was as much craft as it was science. The fireman, likely a working-class volunteer, presents himself with dignity, a bouquet of flowers adding a touch of sentimentality. By focusing on the materials and processes of this photograph, we appreciate its historical and social context, and the effort and artistry involved in its creation.