The Daily ItemSALEM – A unique photographic exhibit is on display that combines modern subjects and vintage photography techniques.”Surfland” the first solo museum exhibition of photographer Joni Sternbach is at the Peabody Essex Museum now through Oct. 9.The exhibit is comprised of more than 40 images, which captures portraits of surfers in tintype, a 19th-century technique little changed since its invention. The combination of historic process and contemporary subjects yields one-of-a-kind images of individuals standing on the verge of sea and land. The combination of contemporary and historic extends to the presentation of SurfLand images accompanied by a selection of PEM tintypes from the 1860s through the 1890s, including portraits of Civil War soldiers and members of the Wampanoag tribe.SurfLand launches PEM’s new schedule of fine arts photography exhibitions organized by the Museum’s first-ever curator of photography, featuring contemporary works by world-class artists several times a year.”I’m thrilled that the Peabody Essex Museum will introduce its new photography program with a debut of this powerful body of work,” said PEM Curator of Photography, Phillip Prodger. “Through Joni Sternbach’s lens, relationships between surfers, their boards and the landscape are shown with a primal grace.”Sternbach said her wooden, 19th-century-style view camera and portable darkroom on the beach attracted potential subject on the shores of San Diego, Santa Cruz, and Montauk, New York.”Surfers came and found me,” she said.Sternbach said the process of creating a tintype can be as much an act of performance as visual art. She explained Tintype is a wet-plate technique, meaning that the chemicals must be hand-applied, exposed and developed before the plate dries. The chemistry is slow, requiring utter stillness on behalf of the subject for two or three minutes. Only the waves move evocatively around their ankles.Far from typical surfer action shots, the images have an otherworldly quality. At the place where sea and sand meet, Sternbach’s subjects stand like ocean creatures briefly alighted on land before slipping back into the surf.The Peabody Essex Museum presents art from around the world. The museum’s collections are among the finest of their kind, showcasing an unrivaled spectrum of American art and architecture and outstanding Asian, Asian Export, Native American, African, Oceanic, Maritime and Photography collections. In addition to its vast collections, the museum offers changing exhibits and a hands-on education center. The museum campus features numerous parks, period gardens and 24 historic properties, including Yin Yu Tang, a 200-year-old house that is the only example of Chinese domestic architecture on display in the United States.The museum is located in East India Square, Salem. Admission is $15 for adults and $11 for students.