If you open the drawer, you will see one of the museum’s latest unique acquisitions. It is a reproduction of the oldest remaining light drawing, as photos were known, ever taken in The Netherlands. The original is in the depot. It cannot tolerate any light without fading. The Zutphen pharmacist, Willem Hallegraeff, took this photo on November 25 1839, 3 months after the discovery of photography in Paris. In the picture, you can see the romantic scene of a couple. The woman is sitting next to the old ruin of a city or castle portal. This image is typical of romanticism, the period in which this photo was taken. The technology in this photo is referred to as salted paper and it works as follows: a piece of paper is processed in a salt solution, then a solution of silver nitrate is transferred to the paper. The paper is now photosensitive, from which a photo can be made. Finally, fixation ensures that the photo can be kept for longer periods. Press A for the Album Amicorum by Aarnout Jacobus of Eindhoven.

A