Untitled (view through double doors into dining room) after 1940

This photograph by Paul Gittings is a classic example of silver gelatin printing, a technique that dominated photography for over a century. The process begins with a light-sensitive emulsion of silver halides on a paper base, which when exposed to light, and then chemically developed, creates a photographic image. Look at the subtle gradations of tone, from the deep blacks of the door frame to the delicate grays of the dining room beyond. This tonal range is one of the hallmarks of the silver gelatin print, and what made it so popular for both artistic and commercial purposes. The making of this photograph also raises questions about labor, and class. The image invites us into a space of apparent affluence, but also hints at the labor required to maintain such an environment. Photography itself was, and is, work of course. Understanding the materials and processes behind photography allows us to appreciate the social context in which images are made and circulated, and the way in which everyday life is documented.