Bethanie 1870s

Félix Bonfils made this photograph, "Bethanie," using albumen silver print, a process that involves coating paper with egg white to create a glossy surface for the photographic emulsion. Bonfils was one of the first commercial photographers in the Middle East, and his work catered to Western audiences eager to consume images of exotic lands. The albumen process itself, while capable of producing stunning detail, was labor-intensive, requiring meticulous preparation and printing techniques. The sepia tone gives a romanticized view, while the sharp focus captures the textures of stone and earth, emphasizing the timelessness of the scene. But this aesthetic beauty is tied to a colonial gaze, where the labor and lives of the people of Bethanie are reduced to picturesque elements. Considering the materiality and production of this photograph allows us to see it not just as a depiction of a place, but as a commodity produced within a specific historical and economic context.