Albumen Print
A printing process using egg white to bind light-sensitive silver salts to paper, giving a glossy surface and warm brown tones.
In depth
Introduced in 1850, albumen was the dominant printing paper for four decades and is responsible for the look of most surviving Victorian photographs. Prints were made by contact in sunlight and toned with gold chloride for permanence. The albumen layer yellows with age, which is why period prints have their characteristic warm cast.
Examples in practice
A carte-de-visite portrait from the 1860s is almost certainly an albumen print, toned gold and mounted on card.