Links. The Met: The Rise of Paper Photography in Italy, 1839–55.Timeline of Art History
En este artículo, ensayo del Met, podemos leer un resumen de la fotografía en Roma a mitad del siglo XIX
..................For foreigners, the allure of Italy
rested in its ancient monuments and its status as the cradle of
classical culture. Working outdoors, or en plein air,
amidst archaeological ruins presented numerous challenges to the
photographer, who had to transport all of the necessary equipment,
including heavy wooden box cameras and costly and volatile chemicals, to
each location. For this reason, many photographers preferred calotypes,
or paper negatives, which were much lighter than metal daguerreotype
plates, and could be prepared in advance and developed in the studio
rather than in situ.
Paper negatives also held the advantage of producing multiple positive
prints from a single negative, a boon for commercial photographers. For
travelers and artists, paper photographs fit neatly into albums and
portfolios compiled on journeys and admired as souvenirs and artistic
studies...................