Suburb of Mazatenango
Eadweard J. Muybridge
American, born England. 1830–1904
1875
An albumen silver print in which Muybridge records a quiet suburban scene of thatched-roof huts and tropical vegetation in Mazatenango, aiming to document place and everyday life during his travels.
You notice first the dramatic scale contrast — a tall palm and dense trees towering over low, shaggy thatch roofs — rendered in soft sepia tones that emphasize the textures of foliage, thatch, and earth across a broad, open composition.
This 1875 travel photograph exemplifies how the albumen print and photographers like Muybridge turned the camera into a tool for geographic and ethnographic documentation, helping to expand photography beyond portraiture into scientific and documentary practice while anticipating his later experiments with motion study.
Medium
Albumen silver print
Dimensions
5 1/2 × 9 3/16" (13.9 × 23.3 cm)
Classification
Department
Credit
Transferred from The Museum of Modern Art Library, New York
Accession
182.1964.84
Palette
Art Terms
Exhibitions
