Using a mammoth camera and the relatively new technology
of wet collodion on glass negatives as large as this print, Carlo Naya recorded
the architectural treasures and limpid atmosphere of Venice with astonishing detail
and seamless gradation of tones. The process was cumbersome, requiring an
on-site darkroom in which to prepare and process the negative
before the sticky emulsion (guncotton dissolved in ether and sensitized with
silver salts) could dry. The palaces depicted here are among the most beautiful
along the Grand Canal in the heart of Venice.