Vrouw met pigmentaire huiduitslag veroorzaakt door syfilis c. 1860 - 1868

Curator: This is "Vrouw met pigmentaire huiduitslag veroorzaakt door syfilis" (Woman with pigmentary skin eruption caused by syphilis), an albumen print photograph by A. de Montméja from around the 1860s. Editor: It's definitely striking. The clinical detachment combined with the intimate, full-body pose is unsettling. The materials -- albumen on paper – emphasize this almost voyeuristic realism. How should we interpret this use of albumen-print within the social context of medical photography in the 19th century? Curator: The albumen print itself is key. Mass-produced using cheap materials it speaks volumes about the industrialization of image-making meeting medical need, and anxieties regarding public health. Think of the labor involved: the posing, developing, printing, distribution. Whose labor benefited and who was exploited in the creation and dissemination of this image? It was a specific method chosen for a reason. Editor: So, you're saying the *method* becomes part of the meaning? More than just documentation. The sheer act of *making* becomes part of the power dynamic involved. Curator: Exactly! The availability and affordability of this printing process also allowed the creation of mass amounts of records for purposes such as public awareness about health issues such as these. Did this photography allow more opportunities for the working class, or contribute to a more medical-industrial hierarchy? Consider the cultural value imbued to physicians with their utilization of visual media! What social narratives were woven within and how can they inform modern discussions regarding power dynamics and medical practices? Editor: I hadn't considered how deeply intertwined the materials were with the social ramifications of depicting illness, especially during this period. Curator: The material choices and industrial process can expose so much if we consider all those involved in production! Editor: It is wild to see what kind of message different types of art can present, thank you for sharing your unique insight! Curator: You are welcome! Approaching from the position of social structures offers many more lenses into artworks such as this albumen print.