Portret van Augustus Hare before 1876

This is a photographic portrait of Augustus Hare by Hills & Saunders. The image is made through the wet collodion process, where glass plates were coated with chemicals, exposed in a camera, and then developed immediately. This method produced incredibly sharp images with a distinctive tonal range, as we see here in the details of Hare's face and clothing. Photography in the 19th century was as much about chemistry and craft as it was about artistry. Photographers had to be skilled in preparing and handling these materials, making each portrait a unique, handcrafted object. The rise of photography coincided with industrialization, yet it retained a strong element of handcraft. Studios like Hills & Saunders employed skilled technicians, creating a blend of industrial efficiency and artisanal expertise. Recognizing this blend of artistry and labor helps us understand how photography democratized portraiture, making it accessible to a wider audience, and shows that even in the age of mechanical reproduction, the human touch remains visible.