Untitled (Portrait of Three Boys) 1865

This portrait of three young boys, author unknown, invites us to reflect on representation, class, and childhood in the 19th century. The photograph, mounted in an ornate frame, presents the children in a formal setting; they are dressed in suits and collared shirts. The image is a window into a very specific experience of childhood, one shaped by class and gender. During this era, childhood was increasingly seen as a distinct phase of life, particularly for the middle and upper classes, where children were nurtured and educated, and their innocence preserved. This image both reflects and reinforces such notions. What does it mean to present young boys in a way that emphasizes their respectability? What stories do we tell ourselves about childhood and innocence? It leaves us to question, how have our notions of childhood evolved, and whose experiences are often left out of these narratives?