961 - G. SOMMER (1834–1914), Open staircase at the Palazzo Reale, Naples, around 1880, albumen print

G. SOMMER (1834–1914), Open staircase at the Palazzo Reale, Naples, around 1880, albumen print Giorgio Sommer (1834, Frankfurt am Main – 1914, Naples): Carlo BROGI, Giacomo BROGI, Magnificent Marble Staircase in the Palazzo Reale in Naples, c. 1880, albumen print Technique: albumen print, mounted on cardboard Date: c. 1880 Description: Titled and numbered in the center of the lower margin of the image: “N.92. Napoli. La gran Scala di marmo nel Palazzo Reale.” The magnificent royal palace is located in Piazza Plebiscito in Naples. Its magnificent halls contain a large Neapolitan cot as well as a collection of clocks, sculptures, and porcelain. Original photograph with high-definition sharpness. An early example of travel photography. Around the middle of the 19th century, more and more tourists from the bourgeoisie traveled to Italy. At that time, taking photographs required a great deal of time and involved expensive, cumbersome equipment. This made many tourists all the more grateful for the services of professional photography studios on site, allowing them to bring home a souvenir from their vacation or collect them as mementos. Famous photographers such as Carlo Naya, Giorgio Sommer, and the Alinari brothers photographed the most famous sights in their home cities and traveled themselves to photograph their customers’ favorite destinations, offering these images as albumen prints. Ancient art treasures were also photographed and made available to travelers. The high-quality photographs of sculptures and frescoes continued to play a vital role in documenting these art treasures and making them accessible to scholars from all over Europe, who previously had to rely on copies or engravings if they were unable to view the originals themselves. Keywords: 19th century, Historicism, Architecture, Italy, Size: Cardboard: 24.5 cm x 31.0 cm (9.6 x 12.2 in), Image: 19.5 cm x 25.0 cm (7.7 x 9.8 in) Condition: Good condition. The image is in very good condition. The image is discolored along the edges of the sheet due to its age; the upper right corner has a slight crease; there are occasional traces of color in the area of the stairs and windows; foxing on the backing and waviness due to mounting.