Vintage Photography

A 3D virtual museum of early photography. Gelatin silver prints and albumen: images made when a photograph was still a chemical event, and sitting still was part of the job.

Every piece in this online exhibition comes from the Art Institute of Chicago's Open Access collection, released under CC0. Each label gives the artist, the date and the medium.

Works in this exhibition

Musket-Proof Half Armor of King Philip III (Media Armadura a Prueba de Mosquete del Rey Felipe III)
Juan Laurent, c. 1868
Albumen print · France
Purchased with funds provided by John A. Bross in memory of E. B. Smith · Juan Laurent on Wikipedia
A Sharpshooter's Last Sleep, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
Alexander Gardner, July 1863
Albumen print, pl. 40 from the album "Gardner's Photographic Sketch Book of the War, vol. 1" (1866) · United States
Gift of Mrs. Everett Kovler
Home of a Rebel Sharpshooter, Gettysburg
Alexander Gardner, July 1863
Albumen print, pl. 41 from the album "Gardner's Photographic Sketch Book of the War, vol. 1" (1866) · United States
Gift of Mrs. Everett Kovler
What Do I Want, John Henry?
Alexander Gardner, November 1862
Albumen print, pl. 27 from the album "Gardner's Photographic Sketch Book of the War, vol. 1" (1866) · United States
Gift of Mrs. Everett Kovler
Mask of Medusa (Masque de Méduse)
Adolphe Braun, 1862
Albumen print · France
Gift of Robert A. Taub · Adolphe Braun on Wikipedia
Church of Villeneuve le Comte, Seine-et-Marne (Eglise de Villeneuve le Comte, Seine-et-Marne)
Charles Marville, 1862
Albumen print · France
The Mary and Leigh Block Endowment Fund · Charles Marville on Wikipedia
Cabaret de l'Homme Armé, Rue des Blancs-Manteaux
Jean-Eugène-Auguste Atget, 1900
Albumen print · France
Purchased with funds provided by Anstiss and Ronald Krueck in honor of Matthew S. Witkovsky · Eugène Atget on Wikipedia
Skirmish between a Prussian Reconnaissance unit and Advance Troops from Faidherbe’s Army (Amiens, 21 January 1871) (Escarmouche entre une Reconnaissance prussienne et une Avant-Garde de l'Armee de Faidherbe [Amiens, 21 Janvier 1871])
Unknown, January 21, 1871
Albumen print · Europe
Julien Levy Collection, Gift of Jean Levy and the Estate of Julien Levy
Incidents of the War: Battery D, 5th U.S. Artillery in Action
Timothy O'Sullivan, 1863
Albumen print, pl. 31 from the album "Gardner's Photographic Sketch Book of the War, vol. 1" (1866) · United States
Gift of Mrs. Everett Kovler
Church of the Madeleine (Eglise de la Madeleine)
Edouard Denis Baldus, c. 1860
Albumen print · France
Gift of Robert A. Taub
Studying the Art of War
Alexander Gardner, June 1863
Albumen print, pl. 45 from the album "Gardner's Photographic Sketch Book of the War, vol. 1" (1866) · United States
Gift of Mrs. Everett Kovler
The Day's Orders (L'Ordre du Jour)
Camille Silvy, May 1859
Albumen print · France
Photography Gala Fund; Smart Family Acquisition Fund; Purchased with funds provided by Joyce Chelberg; Lucia Woods and Daniel A. Lindley, Jr. Fund · Camille Silvy on Wikipedia
Slaughter Pen, Foot of Round Top, Gettysburg
Timothy O'Sullivan, July 1863
Albumen print, pl. 44 from the album "Gardner's Photographic Sketch Book of the War, vol. 1" (1866) · United States
Gift of Mrs. Everett Kovler
Field Where General Reynolds Fell, Gettysburg
Timothy O'Sullivan, July 1863
Albumen print, pl. 37 from the album "Gardner's Photographic Sketch Book of the War, vol. 1" (1866) · United States
Gift of Mrs. Everett Kovler
King Arthur
Julia Margaret Cameron, 1874
Albumen print · England
Gift of Robert A. Taub · Julia Margaret Cameron on Wikipedia
Winged Victory of Samothrace (Victoire de Samothrace)
Unknown, 1860s
Albumen print
Gift of Robert A. Taub
Vienne St. Colombe
Edouard Denis Baldus, c. 1861
Albumen print
The Mary and Leigh Block Endowment Fund, Capital Campaign General Acquisitions Endowment
Plaster Cast of Body, Pompeii
Giorgio Sommer, 1880
Albumen print · Italy
Gift of W. Bruce and Delaney H. Lundberg · Giorgio Sommer on Wikipedia