Portret van Friedrich Ludwig Georg von Raumer

This portrait of Friedrich Ludwig Georg von Raumer, an image embedded in a book printed in Berlin, 1869, gives us pause to consider photography as a mode of production. The photographic processes of the mid-19th century, like the printing press, involved a complex division of labor. The photographer certainly had a creative role, posing von Raumer and capturing his likeness. But consider all the other hands involved, from those mining raw materials for the photographic plates, to those producing the chemicals needed to develop the image. The sepia tone and the oval format, framed by a decorative border, evoke a sense of formality. But the real significance here may be the photograph’s status as a reproducible image, able to be disseminated widely. This reflects the rise of both photography and printing as powerful forces of communication and knowledge production. It asks us to question the very definition of artistic authorship and to appreciate the collaborative nature of many creative practices.