Etude de fleurs (Flower Study) c. 1910

A. Porte created this flower study photograph sometime between 1830 and 1970. It presents a collection of objects–flowers in a vase, lace, a figurine, and a folding fan–carefully arranged and lit. The photograph's emphasis on domestic items suggests the social codes of its time, particularly concerning gender roles and the decoration of private space. The choice of flowers and lace, often associated with femininity, hints at the cultural expectations placed on women during this period to cultivate beauty and domesticity. The inclusion of a porcelain vase and figurine suggests the values of collecting and displaying objects of artistic value. To understand this work better, a social historian might explore the cultural significance of flowers in different eras, the rise of photography as a medium for capturing domestic scenes, and the collecting habits of the middle class. The photograph presents us with a window into a world of social and cultural values that, as historians, we can unpack through careful investigation.