Wheeler Survey, Season of 1872 - Early photography, Public domain image

The albumen silver print is a photographic printing process that was widely used in the 19th century. It involves coating paper support with a mixture of egg whites and salt, which creates a glossy surface to hold light-sensitive silver salts. The paper is then sensitized in a solution of silver nitrate, and exposed in a camera or under a negative. After exposure, the print is developed in a solution of gallic acid and silver nitrate, which reduces the silver salts to metallic silver and creates the final image. The albumen print process was widely used for commercial and fine art photography in the 19th century and produced high-quality, detailed images with a distinctive glossy finish.

william bell lieutenant george montague wheeler albumen silver prints albums britain loudoun north and central america united states virginia william bell 1831 1910 lieutenant george montague wheeler 1842 1905 wheeler survey landscapes gilman collection purchase the horace w goldsmith foundation gift through joyce and robert menschel william bell liverpool 1831 1910 philadelphia pennsylvania wheeler survey season prints history of pennsylvania high resolution ultra high resolution albumen prints early photography metropolitan museum of art

1872

Metropolitan Museum of Art

https://www.metmuseum.org/

Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication ("CCO 1.0 Dedication")