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This photo looks so odd: https://nmb.bm/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/IMG_011057-1536x13...

Were cameras at the time really that good already? Or was it likely restored with some creative license?

Yes, as long as you were happy to wait 30s for an exposure (on tripod), by 1850 (most of those photos were > 15 years later than that) there were many photos of good quality.

Look at photos of Crystal Palace in 1851 for example.

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