Portret van een onbekende vrouw 1892 - 1906

This photographic portrait of an unknown woman was made by Machiel Hendricus Laddé in Amsterdam. Laddé was a Dutch photographer who lived from 1866 to 1932. Although we don't have a date for the image, the existence of Laddé’s studio during this period points us to a specific cultural moment in the history of photography, when the medium’s accessibility grew and commercial studios proliferated. Photography played an important role in shaping social identities. As photography studios became more common, portraits like this became powerful status symbols for the middle class. To understand this photograph better, further research into the social history of photography in the Netherlands, photographic studios such as that of Laddé, and the evolution of portraiture during this time would be invaluable. It would allow us to explore the image's impact on shaping social perceptions and cultural values.