The Hammond elm, Natick before 1890

This is a photograph of The Hammond Elm, Natick, made by Henry Brooks. It is an albumen print, a process popular in the 19th century, where paper is coated with egg white and then sensitized with silver nitrate. What strikes me is the way this photographic process turns nature into a composed scene. The albumen print gives the photograph a sepia tone and a soft focus. The light and shadow create a sense of depth, highlighting the textures of the leaves and bark of the tree. The darks and lights are not only a record, but also an aesthetic rendering. The choice of photographic processes says something about Brooks’s artistic priorities, not simply to document the tree but to ennoble it. The very labor involved in this printing method suggests a desire to elevate the subject, implying respect for both the tree itself, and the potential of photography as an art form.