Untitled
c. 1875
A carefully arranged still life of seashells reproduced as an albumen silver print made from a wet‑collodion glass negative, intended to record and reveal their forms and textures with photographic precision.
You immediately notice the dramatic variety of textures—the gleaming inner lips, serrated edges and spiraled cones—rendered in soft grayscale and sculpted by directional light into strong highlights and deep shadows.
Made around 1875, it stands at the crossroads of scientific collecting and art photography, demonstrating how the wet‑collodion/albumen process allowed photographers to document natural specimens with a new level of detail and tonal subtlety, treating documentary study as visual art.
Medium
Albumen silver print from a wet-collodion glass negative
Dimensions
9 × 7 3/8" (23.1 × 18.9 cm)
Classification
Department
Credit
Acquired through the generosity of Paul F. Walter
Accession
108.1986
Palette
Art Terms
Exhibitions
