THE ITEM

 lovely old

ALBUMEN - CABINET CARD

The albumen print, also called albumen silver print, was invented in 1850 by Louis Désiré Blanquart-Evrard, and was the first commercially exploitable method of producing a photographic print on a paper base from a negative. It used the albumen found in egg whites to bind the photographic chemicals to the paper and became the dominant form of photographic positives from 1855 to the turn of the century, with a peak in the 1860-90 period.

The Carte de visite process was quickly replaced by the larger Cabinet cards. In the early 1860s, both types of photographs were essentially the same in process and design. Both were most often albumen prints; the primary difference being the cabinet card was larger and usually included extensive logos and information on the reverse side of the card to advertise the photographer?s services. However, later into its popularity, other types of papers began to replace the albumen process. Despite the similarity, the cabinet card format was initially used for landscape views before it was adopted for portraiture

(WIKIPEDIA)

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SHOWING:

MARSEILLE

"LE CHATEAU D'IF ET LES ÎLES"

FRANCE / FRANKRIJK / FRANKREICH

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The Château d'If is a fortress (later a prison) located on the island of If, the smallest island in the Frioul archipelago situated in the Mediterranean Sea about 1.5 kilometres (⁷⁄₈ mile) offshore in the Bay of Marseille in southeastern France. It is famous for being one of the settings of Alexandre Dumas' adventure novel The Count of Monte Cristo. If is the French word for the yew tree.

(WIKIPEDIA)

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LOVELY OLD PHOTO OF MARSEILLE AND A VIEW ON THE FAMOUS PRISON AND OTHER ISLANDS

(THOUGH VERY VAGUE, YOU'LL NEED A MAGNIFYING GLASS TO DISCOVER ...)

WE DATE THIS PHOTO CIRCA 1870 AS THE CASTLE-LIKE BUILDING ON THE FOREGROUND IS UNDER CONSTRUCTION AND WE FOUND IT FINISHED ON PICTURES FROM AROUND 1880

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THE PHOTOGRAPHER:

- NOT MENTIONED -

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SIZED:

10,8 X 16,4 CENTIMETERS

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CONDITION:

good, little rubbed and discoloured, corners and edges lightly bumped, few light (foxy) stains, small damage on bottom-side, number written in ink on back-side

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