[J.C.S. on a Riding Camel]
1858–61
![[J.C.S. on a Riding Camel] by Unknown](https://images.artheonmuseum.org/met/ph/thumb/jcs-on-a-riding-camel-287668.webp)
Medium
Albumen silver print
Dimensions
Image: 14.2 x 18 cm (5 9/16 x 7 1/16 in.) Mount: 33 x 26 cm (13 x 10 1/4 in.) Print mounted vertically.
Classification
Photographs
Department
Photographs
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gilman Collection, Purchase, Cynthia Hazen Polsky Gift, 2005
Accession Number
2005.100.491.1 (68)
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the exotic world of mid-19th-century photography *[J.C.S. on a Riding Camel]*, a captivating albumen silver print created between 1858 and 1861. This intimate image, measuring 14.2 x 18 cm on a larger 33 x 26 cm mount oriented vertically, captures a man—likely identified by the initials J.C.S.—atop a camel, evoking the thrill of adventure and travel in regions where these resilient desert travelers were essential. Albumen silver prints, the dominant photographic medium of the era, were prized for their sharp detail and warm, luminous tones. Made by coating paper with egg whites (alb...
About the Artist
Unknown
The artist designated as "Unknown" in our virtual museum's collection exemplifies a poignant chapter in art history: creators whose identities have faded into obscurity despite the enduring power of their work. With only one known artwork attributed to them in our holdings, this figure represents countless anonymous hands that shaped visual culture across centuries. Museums worldwide, including th...