Portret van een zittend kind in Roemeense klederdracht met hoed 1870 - 1890

Carol Popp de Szathmari made this albumen print, a photograph, of a child in Romanian folk costume. It’s a potent combination of technology and tradition. Szathmari was a painter who became a pioneering photographer, so he understood the power of an image. Notice how the costume, richly embroidered, speaks to the tradition of handcraft in Romania. Garments like these were not simply clothing; they represented cultural identity and were often made with considerable skill and care within the household. Photography, on the other hand, was a relatively new, industrialized medium. By capturing this child’s image, Szathmari was participating in the broader movement to document and, in a sense, preserve cultural heritage amid social change. The photograph becomes a kind of artifact itself, referencing both the specific craft traditions of Romania and the industrialized technology of image-making. Ultimately, this photograph invites us to reflect on the complex interplay between tradition and modernity, craft and industry, and the ways in which these forces shape our understanding of culture and identity.