Great
architecture is eternal. A great architectural photograph
can capture that spirit and sense of timelessness. Monumental,
breathtaking, and memorable.The passion and excitement that
I have associated with collecting and studying nineteenth
century architectural photographs has proven to be intellectually
stimulating, emotionally gratifying, and yet sometimes puzzling.
The ease with which one can find a diverse range of architectural
images has, with the recent phenomenon of computer technology
and internet auction sources, now made it possible for me
to assemble a collection of over 900 photographs from the
mid-nineteenth century. Nearly 90% of the images in the
collection are albumen prints taken from wet collodion or
dry collodion glass plate negatives. This process dominated
the production of photographic prints from 1853 until about
1885. Virtually all of the images in the collection are
8”x10” or larger.
From the inception of this collection, it's objective has
been to shed light on the new invention of photography in
the mid-19th Century and to understand its role in the promotion
and dissemination of architectural ideas.
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