"Innere vom Malakoff", by James Robertson (1813-1888), printed in Vienna by M. Auer, 1857.

Rare lithograph based on a photograph by James Robertson taken during the Crimean War, ca. 1855. The work shows a scene of ruin in the courtyard of the Malakhov Tower, with buildings, artillery batteries and military equipment in the foreground and a fortified building integrated into a landscape with slight elevations in the background. This was a crucial Russian fortress during the Siege of Sevastopol.
This image is recognized as one of the earliest photographs capturing armed conflict in the history of photography. This lithograph, on the other hand, is a good example of how photographic images were disseminated and reached the general population in the early 19th century.
The same image was also used as a lithograph in Major Richard Delafield’s "Report on the Art of War in Europe in 1854, 1855, and 1856", Bowen & Co. lith. Washington 1860.

Interesting detail: the shadowy figure on the right in the original photo has been omitted from this lithograph. This figure is depicted in the other lithograph by Bowen & Co. lith.

Source: Michael Auer () Faust. Poligrafisch illustrirte Zeitschrift für Kunst, Wissenschaft, Industrie, und geselliges Leben. Printed in Vienna ca. 1857.

Vintage lithograph print in good condition with a lot of detail. Occasional light foxing recognisable. Slightly browned along the edges. Title and credit on the mount.

image ca. 21,3 cm x 29,4 cm
mount ca. 25,2 cm x 34,9 cm

The original photograph by Robertson was a salt print from an albumen glass negative. See last image for reference only.