986 - F. WÜRTHLE (1820–1902), Gaisberg and the mine exit, around 1900, albumen print

F. WÜRTHLE (1820–1902), Gaisberg and the mine exit, around 1900, albumen print Friedrich Würthle (1820, Constance – 1902, Salzburg): View of the Gaisberg in the Salzkammergut and the exit from the Ferdinand Berg mine near Berchtesgaden, c. 1900, albumen paper print Technique: albumen paper print, mounted on cardboard Stamp: At the bottom, a dummy stamp reading “Würthle und Sohn.” Salzburg. 20th century, 19th century Inscription: Inscribed on the printing plate: “98. Gaisberg / [?]23. Ausfahrt v. Bergwerk.” Date: c. 1900 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 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; Mountains; Mountain; Nature; Mine; Sightseeing; Tourists; Vehicle, 20th century, Historicism, Landscape, Austria, Salzburg, Size: Cardboard: 34.4 cm x 26.9 cm (13.5 x 10.6 in), additional specification: Size from top to bottom: 9.8 x 15 cm; 9.7 x 15 cm Condition: In poor condition. The photograph and backing are clearly warped. The upper portion of the photograph has distinct brown spots and minor retouching on the photographic plate.