Portret van een man c. 1873

This portrait of an unknown man was made by Willem Gerhardus Kuijer, using the albumen print method sometime in the 19th century. This photographic process, popular in the mid-1800s, involved coating paper with egg white and silver nitrate, resulting in sharp, detailed images. The sitter's formal attire, complete with a bow tie, hints at a certain social standing within Dutch society. The man's serious demeanor and the formality of the pose suggest a desire for respectability and perhaps even upward mobility. During this period, photography became increasingly accessible to the middle class, allowing individuals to participate in the creation and dissemination of their own images. By examining archival materials such as census records, directories, and newspapers, we can gain a better understanding of the social and economic circumstances that shaped the lives of both the photographer and his sitter. In this way, the photograph offers a fascinating glimpse into the society of the time and the role of visual culture in shaping individual and collective identities.