Pompeii, Recent Excavations, 1892–94 (albumen silver print)

Pompeii - Ultimi Scavi. Published by Edizioni Esposito (active 1870s-90s). This image documents the realities of digging at Pompeii, as forced labourers and prisoners were sometimes used to undertake the strenuous and perilous work of uncovering ancient remains. In the foreground, an overseer holds a long cane before a group of shabbily dressed boys carrying baskets of dirt. In the distance, two men gaze at the site, accompanied by a third figure, perhaps a servant. These two men - archaeologists or tourists - demonstrate the 19th-century divide between those who managed the excavations and enjoyed the discoveries, and those who actually cleared the ruins.