957 - Unknown (19th century), St. Michael’s Gate at the Hofburg, Vienna, around 1880, albumen paper print

Unknown (19th century), St. Michael’s Gate at the Hofburg, Vienna, around 1880, albumen paper print Unknown (19th century): St. Michael’s Gate of the Hofburg in Vienna, castle gate to the St. Michael’s Wing with St. Michael’s Cupola, c. 1880, albumen paper print Technique: albumen paper print, mounted on cardboard Inscription: Inscribed on the lower part of the mount: "- Vienne - Burgthor - (palais de la Hofburg) -". Date: c. 1880 Description: Original photograph with high detail sharpness. An early example of travel photography. Around the middle of the 19th century, more and more tourists from middle-class circles traveled throughout Europe. At that time, taking photographs required a great deal of time and expensive, cumbersome equipment. This made many tourists all the more grateful for the work of professional photography studios on site, which allowed them to bring back a memento from afar for those who stayed at home or to collect as souvenirs. Photographers captured the most famous sights of their hometowns and traveled themselves to photograph their clients’ most popular destinations, offering these images as albumen prints. Ancient art treasures were also photographed and offered to travelers. The high-quality photographs of sculptures and frescoes continued to make an important contribution to documenting art treasures and making them accessible to scholars from all over Europe, who previously had to rely on tracings or engravings if they could not view the original for themselves. Keywords: Travel photography; Souvenir; Veduta; View; Architectural photography; Baroque; Burgtor; Hofburg; Michaelertor; Michaelerplatz; Passersby; Sculpture; Joseph Emanuel Fischer von Erlach, 19th century, Historicism, Architecture, Austria, Vienna, Size: Cardboard: 27.0 cm x 34.0 cm (10.6 x 13.4 in), Image: 20.2 cm x 26.3 cm (8 x 10.4 in) Condition: In fairly good condition. The photograph and backing are noticeably wavy. Light damage and faint stains are visible along the edges. There is noticeable dust on the photographic plate.