foto c. 1895 - 1925

Curator: Here we have "foto," a gelatin-silver print from somewhere between 1895 and 1925 attributed to Alphons Diepenbrock. What's your initial reaction? Editor: It's ghostly, almost spectral. The stark contrast renders the figure in a disquieting light, casting long, obscured shadows on what would seemingly have been considered, even at that time, a professional headshot. Curator: Exactly! Let's consider gelatin-silver prints; this process, dominant for nearly a century, offered a remarkable range of tones. What do we see here beyond the mere image? It appears to be a negative rather than the photograph? Editor: Right, there's the inversion. Considering the time, this portrait possibly transcends a mere document of the sitter's likeness. I think about performance, and presentation. Gender, race, class... Were similar visual languages applied consistently to portraits of other figures? The answer tells us volumes about its sociopolitical landscape at the time of its creation. Curator: Agreed. Looking at the craftsmanship, the precise development techniques required to achieve this balance. This portrait is also about labor, the photographer's skilled handling of chemicals and equipment in the darkroom. What's omitted also contributes to the dialogue. Editor: Absolutely, and there is so much omitted! It becomes crucial to think about what sort of dialogue or narrative this type of image aimed to support or perpetuate. It asks so much of us. It challenges the definition of portraiture itself. Curator: Looking closely, I begin to see imperfections in the surface of the print, adding to its weight as object, not just image. Editor: And to think about what we cannot recover about this sitter’s own agency… Curator: Ultimately, these are objects meant to be examined and to tell a deeper, more complex history. Editor: Right. Beyond aesthetics, we see encoded values and hierarchies and absences made visible through art’s enduring lens.