Family from Capri 1850

This albumen print, "Family from Capri," was created by Roberto Rive, likely in the 1860s or 70s. The photograph presents a posed family gathering, seemingly around the tools and equipment of their trade. There are the garments they are wearing, their hats and clothes, the barrels, the buckets. But in reality, it's the photograph itself that Rive is "making." In these early travel photographs, the figures and settings were carefully arranged to construct an idea of authenticity and local color, but were often very staged. The very act of creating the photograph – preparing the chemicals, coating the plate, exposing and developing the image – required specialized knowledge and labor. The final print, sold as a souvenir, became a commodity, transforming the lived experience of the people of Capri into a consumable image for tourists. In this way, Rive's photograph isn’t just a record of a place and its people, but a window onto the complex relationship between representation, labor, and the burgeoning tourist economy.