Rowboats beached along a shore are captured in an early color photographic process called Autochrome. Despite the long exposures and complex processing, this technique made National Geographic magazine one of the first periodicals to bloom with color photography. "Not too many people made Autochromes," says Society conservator Robin Siegel. "It was expensive and too much work."

(Text adapted from "Behind the Scenes: Autochromes in Living Color," June 2000, National Geographic magazine)