Fisher Lassies 1843 - 1847

This is "Fisher Lassies", a calotype photograph made by Hill and Adamson sometime between 1843 and 1848. The image is dominated by a warm, sepia tone that casts a soft, almost dreamlike quality over the scene. Five young women are grouped together with a large wicker basket in the center, their faces framed by white headscarves. The composition is carefully structured, employing the basket as a focal point which divides and anchors the figures, while the play of light and shadow across their faces adds depth and texture. The women's striped dresses create a visual rhythm that moves across the image, adding a subtle sense of movement to what is essentially a static scene. Photography in this period was as much about the science of representation as it was about art. It served as a means of documenting social types, capturing the essence of everyday life. Hill and Adamson's choice to focus on these working-class women elevates their status through the formality of portraiture, inviting us to consider the social and cultural codes embedded within such imagery. It challenges the period's strict class boundaries while creating a lasting document of Scottish life.