Portret van een jonge vrouw in jas met bontkraag 1874 - 1881

Albert Delabarre captured this small photographic portrait, "Portret van een jonge vrouw in jas met bontkraag," using the then-new technology of chemical photography. The albumen print is mounted on card stock, a common presentation of photographic portraits at the time. But consider: the creation of such an image was anything but simple. The photographer would have needed a portable darkroom to prepare and develop the image right after the exposure. The process required great expertise, not unlike darkroom printers working with film today. Also, each print would have required manual production. It's also interesting to reflect on the social context. The young woman depicted in this photograph likely belonged to a privileged class, given that she could afford a fur-lined coat and a formal portrait. This image, therefore, is not just a picture but a record of labor, skill, and social standing.