[Man in Bottle] 1883 - 1893

Editor: We're looking at "Man in Bottle," a photo from somewhere between 1883 and 1893, created by John C. Higgins. It's currently housed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The man inside this bottle appears both confined and composed. It gives the image a weird sense of stillness. What’s your interpretation of this piece, putting aside how Higgins actually managed the photographic feat? Curator: Ah, the bottle! What a symbol. It feels like a playful prison, doesn’t it? Makes you think about being stuck, whether it’s by society's expectations or your own limitations. I imagine Higgins chuckling to himself while staging this. Do you think that this man volunteered to be encapsulated in glass, or was he pressured to do so? Editor: That's a thought-provoking question! His expression seems relatively calm, but that could also be part of the performance. Were these types of playful photos common at that time? Curator: That era was really fascinated by illusions. It might speak to that human desire to bend reality. Consider the alternative title I have imagined: "Philosopher Contained", but really, if our sitter had not put on such proper clothing, my imaginary title would never work! Now, do you get the feeling the photo means more to the sitter or to its viewers? Editor: That's something I never considered. This could be one reason why this kind of old picture still finds audiences in later centuries. So, to bring this back to its beginning, are there many theories of how the photographer made this unusual composite possible? Curator: Of course there are speculations of techniques which produced it: a pre-photoshop moment with scissors and darkroom mastery. Still, what truly enchants me is how Higgins crafted a magical reality, bottling up a slice of time. Editor: I'll look at portrait photography of this era much differently from now on! Curator: I daresay I will, too.