Newhaven Family 1843 - 1847

This calotype was made between 1843 and 1848 by David Hill and Robert Adamson. The scene captures a family from the fishing village of Newhaven, near Edinburgh, and offers a glimpse into 19th-century Scottish life. In this period, Scotland was undergoing significant social and economic changes, with many rural communities facing upheaval. The image presents a moment of composed dignity amidst the realities of working-class life. The women are dressed in striped skirts, and the men are in heavy work clothes, which speaks to the gendered division of labor within the community. Their faces, though stoic, hint at the hardships and resilience that define their existence. The family presents a united front, which perhaps points to the importance of kinship and community support in a time of change. Hill and Adamson developed an approach that diverges from the formal portraiture conventions of the time. Instead, they captured a kind of unvarnished realism, documenting the lives of ordinary people with empathy. This photograph is a meditation on the impact of economic and social shifts on the working class.