Figure 1.--This 1934 Genoa First Communion studio portrait was done with a narrow white border and serrated edges. Family snapshots were printed with the same kind of pjotographic material. This was a silver nitrate print, although the sepia tones looks like an albumen print.

We are slowly ammassing a substantial archive of Italian photographs. Most of it, however is photographs taken after the turn of the 20th century. We have not yet found any early Italian photographs like Daguerreotypes and Ambros, the processes developed in the mid-19th century. They exist, but are not very common. We believe this is primary an economic matter. European Dags and Ambros are not as common as in America for legal and economic reasons. And early Italian images seem less common than in Britain and France, the two most important countries in the early history of photography. Italy is one of the more populace Europwan countries, but was not a very wealthy country. And of course weath is a factor in the development of the photographic industry. We begin to find Italian studio portraits in the late-19th century. They must have existed earlier, but the Italian photographic record is just not as large as the other major countries and the principal reason for this is a substantial portion of the population was poor. It is the same reason that drove so many itlalians to emigrate, especially to the United States. The industry was assisted by foreign photographers attracted by the artistic and arcaheological trasures to be photographed. One art historian writes, "Beginning around 1847, Rome emerged as a photographic caput mundi. An international group of photographers congregated at the city’s famed Caffé Greco to socialize and exchange information about their medium, becoming known in period accounts as the Roman School of Photography, or the Circle of the Caffé Greco." {Sanders] As in other countries, photography in the late-19th century was dominated by the albumen process. This was a much less expensive process tha Dag and Ambros and copies coild be cheaply made. Most of the 19th century images we have found so far are cabinet cards. We are not sure how common CDVs were. CDVs wre very common in America and manu other countries (especially Britain, France, abd Germnay). Our Italian 19th century archive is too limited to make any definative assesstments, but we have found few CDVs. With silver nitrate photographya and the invention of the family snapshot, we begin to find a vast expansion of the photographic record. This means that with the advent of the 20th century, as in other countries, we begin to find substantial numbers of photographic images, both studio portraits and more impooernatky family snapshots. Color photography appeared in the late-19th century, but it took more time for commercial processes to be developed. This occurred in the inter-War era (Americam France, and Germany), but it was not until the post-World War II era that it was widely adopted.

Early Processes

We are slowly ammassing a substantial archive of Italian photographs. Most of it, however is phoogtaphs taken after the turn of the 20th century. We have not yet found any early Italian photographs like Daguerreotypes and Ambros, the pricesses developed in the mid-19th century. They exist, but are not very common. We believe this is primary an economic matter. European Dags and Ambros are not as common as in America for legal and economic reasons And early Italian images seem less common than in Britain and France, the two most important countries in the early history of photography. Italy is one of the more populace Europwan countries, but was not a very wealthy country. And of course weath is a factor in the development of the photographic industry. We begin to find Italian studio portraits in the late-19th century. They must have existed earlier, but the Italian photographic record is just not as large as the other major countries and the principal reason for this is a substantial portion of the population was poor. It is the same reason that drove so many itlalians to emigrate, especially to the United States. The industry was assisted by foreign photographers attracted by the artistic and arcaheological trasures to be photographed. One art historian writes, "Beginning around 1847, Rome emerged as a photographic caput mundi. An international group of photographers congregated at the city’s famed Caffé Greco to socialize and exchange information about their medium, becoming known in period accounts as the Roman School of Photography, or the Circle of the Caffé Greco." {Sanders] The prestigious French Prix de Rome which brought art students to Italy.

Albumen Process

As in other countries, photography in the late-19th century was dominated by the albumen process. This process began to become important (1860s). This was a much less expensive process tha Dag and Ambros and copies could be cheaply made. Most albumen prints were CDVs and cabinet cards and we have found both in Italy beginning with the 1860s. In Italy, however, we have mostly found the larger cabinet cards and not nearly as mamy as from other large European countries. Most of the 19th century images we have found so far are cabinet cards. We are not sure how common CDVs were. CDVs wre very common in America and many other countries (especially Britain, France, and Germany). Our Italian 19th century archive is too limited to make any definative assesstments, but we have found few CDVs. Even so for the first time we have substantial numbers of Italian photographs, especially cabinet cards. Most of the caninet cards we have found so far date from the late-19th century, especially the 1890s. This may be affected by our acquisition process rather than actual prevalence. We think almost all CDVs were done with the albumen process. Cabinet cards are a little more complicated. Cabinet cards continued to be done in the early-20th century, but the 20th century cards were done with the silver nitrate process.

Silver Nitrate Process

With silver nitrate photographs and the invention of the family snapshot, we begin to find a vast expansion of the photographic record. This means that with the advent of the 20th century, as in other countries, we begin to find substantial numbers of photographic images, both studio portraits and more importantly family snapshots. An early new imovation was the postcard-back photograph. There were a range of formats, not only the studio portaits and postcard back orints, but family snapshots done in a range of sizes with varying characteistics. Note the serated edges of the studio portrait here (figure 1). Economics as in the 19th century affected 20th century silver nitrate photography. Many Italians especially in the poverty afflicted south could not afford family photography, either the camera or the cost of developing and printing film. The middle-class could, but not many working-class Italians. Even so many Itaians did have cameras and we have for the first time, substantial numbers of Italian images. We have many more photographic images from the 20th century. Economic conditions changed significantly with the post-World War II Italian Economic Miracle (1950s).

Color Processes

There was an interest in color photography from the very earliest phase of the development of photography. The earliest commercial step was attempts at colorizing by tunting black and white images. And we see that with all the early processes and formats. This was not a pefect sollution. Studios offered tinting ooptions. At first only minor color elements were added such as rosy cheeks and gold rings. This was common with both Dags and Ambros. There were some more elaborate efforts, but full color tinting was more common with albumen and silver nitrate studio prints. These tinted prints very widely. Some wre prints with splashes of color crudely applied. Others were beautifully done and give the impression of a color image. Such beautifully done images were expensive to produce. Actual color photography appeared in the late-19th century, but were expensive and complicated. It took more time for commercial processes to be developed. This occurred in the inter-War era (America, France, and Germany), but it was not until the post-World War II era that color photography became more reasonably priced and widely adopted and prices.

Sources

Saunders, Beth. “The Rise of Paper Photography in Italy, 1839–55.” In Heilbrunn. Timeline of Art History (New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000).

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