Portret van een man met hoed in de hand en een vrouw bij een balustrade 1880 - 1901

Hendrik Boonstoppel made this photographic portrait of a man and woman. It is part of a larger photo album, likely intended for family viewing. Photography as a medium is interesting because of its relationship to industrialization. The images are created through a chemical process that emerged from the industrial revolution. The development of photography went hand-in-hand with the expansion of trade, imperialism, and the increasing circulation of images in the nineteenth century. Looking at the image itself, consider the poses, the clothing, and the props. The bowler hat, the cane, the placement of hands – all are carefully arranged. Think about the labor involved in the production of this image, both in front of the camera and behind it, in the photographic studio itself. The professional photographer directs his subjects, and the subjects are carefully dressed to participate in the making of the image. Understanding the work that goes into creating an image like this helps us to see beyond the mere representation of a man and a woman.