Portret van een onbekende jonge man in uniform 1855 - 1885

This is a portrait of an unknown young man in uniform, made by Laveuve in the carte-de-visite format. The albumen print, created by coating paper with albumen from egg whites and silver nitrate, was a popular method of photography in the 19th century. It produced a sharp image with fine detail, as we can see in the crispness of the young man’s uniform and face. The process was labor-intensive, requiring skill in preparing the emulsion, coating the paper, and controlling the exposure and development. The carte-de-visite itself was a product of mass production, enabled by the rise of commercial photography studios. These small, affordable portraits democratized image-making, making it accessible to a wider segment of society beyond the elite. They also became collectable, and were presented in albums, like postcards today. In looking at this image, consider the many hands involved in its creation, from the photographer to the darkroom assistants to the suppliers of photographic materials. It’s a reminder that every artwork is the result of complex social and economic networks.