London Bridge 1850 - 1900

This print of London Bridge was created using the collotype process, a method that creates a continuous tone image from a glass plate negative. Photography, more than painting, has always been deeply entwined with industrial processes. Each print depends on the availability of chemicals, specialized papers, and sophisticated machinery. The anonymous artist who captured this bustling London scene was participating in a relatively new medium, one that democratized image-making. The print's sepia tone and soft focus evoke a sense of nostalgia, even as the scene itself shows the modern hustle of city life. We see horse-drawn carriages, densely packed with people crossing the bridge. Labor is evident, not only in the manufacturing of the photographic materials, but also in the implied work of those commuting across the Thames. Thinking about photography in this way – as a product of both artistic vision and industrial production – allows us to appreciate its complex relationship to the world it represents. It challenges the idea of photography as a purely artistic pursuit, showing that it’s also a form of skilled labor, deeply rooted in the social and economic conditions of its time.