Albumen print

The albumen print is a type of photographic print invented in 1850 and widely used through the second half of the nineteenth century. It was made from paper coated with albumen (egg white) mixed with salts, then sensitised with a silver solution; the image formed directly under the action of light through a negative. Developed by Louis Désiré Blanquart-Evrard, the method produced a smooth glossy surface, fine detail and characteristic warm, purplish-brown tones, especially after gold toning. The albumen print became the dominant positive-printing technology for decades and prevailed in the era of the carte-de-visite portrait and the landscape view. Enormous numbers of nineteenth-century photographs were made in this technique, including early views of Ukrainian towns, architectural monuments and people, which are now valuable historical sources. Because of their organic base, such prints tend to yellow and fade over time and require careful preservation in museum and archival collections.