Portret van een man 1860 - 1900

W.S. Bradshaw made this portrait of a man using photography, a relatively new technology in the 19th century. Photography, unlike painting or sculpture, relied heavily on industrial processes – from the manufacture of the camera and the chemical preparation of the glass plate negative, to the printing of the final image on paper. This portrait, like many from the era, reveals how photography democratized representation. Suddenly, it was possible for the middle class to have their likeness captured, not just the wealthy elite. Consider the labor involved, not just the photographer’s skill, but also the factory workers producing the materials. By understanding the means of production, we see how this small portrait reflects broader shifts in society, technology, and the very idea of who deserves to be seen and remembered.