"Petra. Oleanders in bloom with figure."
Image: Library of Congress
Built sometime around the 4th century BC, the city of Petra in southern Jordan was the capital of the Nabataean society.
The Nabataeans carved elaborate and beautiful structures directly out of the raw sandstone cliffs, and devised ingenious cisterns and water conduits to make the city both a fortress and an oasis along the caravan trade routes of the region.
These images of Petra and its environs were created using the Autochrome process, one of the earliest color photography technologies. Requiring long exposures, the process used dyed potato starch grains to capture color in a dreamy, pointillist mosaic.
1934
"Dead Sea."
Image: Library of Congress
1934
"Dead Sea."
Image: Library of Congress
Rock formations at Petra.
Image: Library of Congress
1934
"Dead Sea."
Image: Library of Congress
"Petra with figures."
Image: Library of Congress
Oleanders in bloom.
Image: Library of Congress
1935
"Petra. Oleanders in bloom. Siyyagh Valley."
Image: Library of Congress
1935
"Petra. Patch of Aloes with Khubtah Range. Wady Mousa."
Image: Library of Congress
1934
"Petra, El Khazna."
Image: Library of Congress
Al Khazneh (The Treasury).
Image: Library of Congress
1934
Petra.
Image: Library of Congress
Petra.
Image: Library of Congress
"Petra. Great high place of sacrifice."
Image: Library of Congress
Image: Library of Congress
"Petra. El Khubdha & Oleander."
Image: Library of Congress
"Petra. Oleanders & figure."
Image: Library of Congress
"Petra."
Image: Library of Congress
"Petra. Oleander with figure."
Image: Library of Congress
Image: Library of Congress
"Petra. Oleanders & Cave."
Image: Library of Congress
1934
"Petra. Qasr Bint Far'on, Kasr Fir'aun to the left."
Image: Library of Congress
1934
Image: Library of Congress
"Petra-Umm el Biyara el Habis, taken through a cave."
Image: Library of Congress
"Petra."
Image: Library of Congress
"Petra. Oleanders in the Siq."
Image: Library of Congress
Image: Library of Congress
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