België, straatbeeld met optocht geleid door paard en wagen 1893 - 1921

This photographic print, titled ‘België, straatbeeld met optocht geleid door paard en wagen’ was captured by Hilda Jacobs in Belgium, although the exact date remains unknown. The sepia-toned print is an albumen silver print, a process that was popular in the 19th century for its ability to produce finely detailed images. The process involves coating paper with albumen, or egg white, and then sensitizing it with silver nitrate. This chemical reaction creates a light-sensitive surface, allowing for a photographic negative to be printed on the surface, creating a positive image. The tones of the print are inherently linked to the materials used, and this helps convey a sense of time. The choice of this material indicates a deliberate engagement with photography as both a medium of documentation and artistic expression. The level of labor and skill involved in this process underscores photography's transition from an artisanal practice to a more industrialized form of production. This image asks us to consider not only the subject, but the means of its making.