F.J.P. van Calker c. 1860 - 1880

This photograph of F.J.P. van Calker was taken by Friedrich Julius von Kolkow, whose dates extend from the mid-19th to the early 20th century, a period of immense change and social stratification. Consider the rigid formality of the portrait, the sitter’s stern gaze, and the carefully cultivated beard; these were visual markers of status and respectability in a rapidly industrializing world. Von Kolkow, as the photographer, and van Calker, as the subject, were both participating in a visual language that reinforced the power structures of their time. During this time, photography emerged not just as a technological advancement, but as a tool for constructing and perpetuating social narratives. While portraits like this appear to be straightforward representations, they are in fact carefully staged performances of identity, reflecting and shaping the values of the society in which they were created. It reminds us to consider the stories behind the faces, and how these images both shape and reflect the world around us.