Portret van Émile Manheimer before 1884

Curator: Here we have a gelatin silver print, “Portret van Émile Manheimer,” created sometime before 1884. It looks to be an albumen print tipped into an album. It's a very formal pose, capturing a person who appears ready for some sort of outdoor activity. Editor: I find it immediately compelling – so quiet and almost sepia-toned even for a gelatin silver print. There's something both gentle and austere about the subject and composition; they strike me as being confident, even proud. Curator: The use of albumen as a photographic process has distinct material implications, yielding a smooth surface from an organic base, specifically egg whites. Considering the timing, we must remember the emergent industrial processes by which the image was made and for whom, not only as art but also as record. This, juxtaposed with his attire, tells an intriguing story of class, labor and leisure. Editor: Absolutely, and to see it now, preserved, allows one to imagine Émile’s experiences. Was this a Sunday sporting outfit, a passion proudly shown? I wonder what outdoor activities the garb implies... Perhaps an outing into the countryside to connect with nature outside the growing cityscapes? Or more connected to resource procurement activities like hunting? Curator: Yes, the class is palpable isn't it, and also that link between photographic image-making and self-representation, particularly for an upper-middle class like Émile. Photography offered an avenue to project particular personal and political viewpoints. That’s crucial here, especially as photography became widely available. This makes one contemplate Émile's intentions with the work and consider audience. Editor: That's fascinating to consider! Seeing him framed here against the softer background almost places him outside of the very materiality we’re discussing, in an idealized version of himself. He is present yet seemingly transported out of real tangible time. I like the almost dreamlike mood! Curator: In the end, considering both the artistic expression and materiality of such works, one gets closer to a richer socio-cultural historical truth. Editor: Beautiful. Thank you, that perspective makes this photo breathe with a renewed intensity for me.