Portret van (vermoedelijk) een Delftse student met korte jas en muts c. 1869s

J. de Bruyn made this small albumen print, possibly in Delft, capturing a young man in student garb. These photographic portraits gained popularity in the Netherlands during the 19th century. The student’s attire—the short jacket, cap with a plume, and decorative ruff—likely signified his affiliation with a specific student corps or society within the Delft Polytechnic School, later Delft University of Technology. These societies played a vital role in shaping social networks and professional identities. The sword might allude to traditional notions of masculine honour and the values these societies upheld. It’s worth considering how this carefully constructed image served as a form of self-representation and social signalling. To delve deeper, researching the histories of Delft student societies would be invaluable. By understanding the codes and symbols embedded in this image, we gain insight into the social and institutional context of student life in the Netherlands.