Twee kinderen en een vrouw bij een trap 1896

This photograph, "Twee kinderen en een vrouw bij een trap," was made by Henry Pauw van Wieldrecht, who lived from 1863 to 1912. The sepia tones we see here speak to the chemical processes involved in early photography, in which light-sensitive materials were manipulated in a darkroom to capture an image. It is a world away from our digital era. The family shown in the image look comfortably well off. This would have been necessary, as having your portrait taken at the time was not a cheap undertaking. The heavy paper card mount emphasizes its status as a keepsake object. Looking closely, you'll notice the presence of the woman in the corner. In my view, her obscured presence suggests the social dynamics of domestic labour that photography often overlooks. Ultimately, this photograph encourages us to think about the layers of material and social history embedded within this seemingly simple image of a family moment. It encourages us to consider the labor, technology, and class dynamics at play in its creation.