Portret van een vrouw met West-Friese klederdrachtmuts 1883 - 1910

This portrait of a woman in West Frisian traditional dress was made by Johannes Laurens Theodorus Huijsen, a photographer active in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Photography was a relatively new medium at the time, involving a complex interplay of chemistry, optics, and skilled labor. In this case, the photographic print itself is a product of industrial manufacturing, a standardized object. However, the image captures a subject whose clothing speaks to other modes of production. The lace trim on the woman's cap, the embroidered detail on her shawl—these elements likely represent hours of meticulous handwork, embodying a set of skills passed down through generations. The image, therefore, exists at the intersection of industrial and craft production, reflecting a society in transition. Photography democratized portraiture, while at the same time holding a mirror up to a traditional way of life. It is a reminder that the making of images, like the making of textiles, has a social and economic history all its own.