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The Domes, Yosemite - Early photography, Public domain image

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The Domes, Yosemite - Early photography, Public domain image

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Summary

Attributed to Carleton E. Watkins (American, 1829–1916)

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.

Carleton Watkins (1829-1916) was an American photographer best known for his photographs of the American West in the 19th century. Born in Oneonta, New York, he moved to California in 1849 during the Gold Rush. He worked as a carpenter and teamster before taking up photography in the early 1860s. Watkins is best known for his photographs of Yosemite Valley, which he first visited in 1861. His images of the valley helped popularise it as a tourist destination and played a key role in the creation of Yosemite National Park. Watkins also photographed other areas of the West, including the Columbia River Gorge in Oregon and the mining towns of Nevada. Watkins' photographs were highly regarded for their technical excellence and artistic composition. He used large-format cameras and glass-plate negatives to produce detailed images of great depth and clarity. His work was exhibited internationally and won numerous awards. In later life Watkins suffered financial setbacks and lost much of his work in a fire. He died in poverty in 1916, but his legacy as one of America's greatest photographers lives on.

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Date

1876
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Source

Metropolitan Museum of Art
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Copyright info

Public Domain Dedication (CC0)

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albumen silver prints
albumen silver prints