Portret van een onbekende man in een verplegersuniform c. 1899 - 1920

This is a photograph by Joseph Lazarus, depicting an unknown man in a nurse's uniform. The photograph’s sepia tone and the subject’s formal pose give it a distinct historical feel. The composition is structured around the stark white uniform, which contrasts against the soft, blurred background. The cross emblems on the cap and arm immediately signal themes of aid and sacrifice, yet the man’s ambiguous expression complicates any simple reading. The photograph employs a semiotic system, where the uniform and cross function as signs. These signs create meaning that is tied to cultural and historical contexts. The symmetry of the composition—the balance between the upper and lower body, the centered figure—suggests a desire for order and control. The slightly faded quality and the unknown identity invite us to consider how images construct and preserve memory. Consider the interplay between form and content, and how that creates a historical dialogue around identity, service, and representation.