Portret van een onbekende man uit de familie Marmelstein 1861 - 1874

Albert Greiner made this albumen print of an unknown man from the Marmelstein family sometime in the mid-19th century. The man's formal attire reflects the rise of the middle class and the increasing importance of professional identity in Dutch society. This small photograph provides a window into the cultural values and social norms of the time. The man’s pose, with his hand tucked into his coat and his stern gaze, conveys a sense of respectability and self-assurance, while the ornate chair to his right implies a degree of affluence. This image tells us something about the increasing use of photography by the middle classes for the purpose of self-representation. The cultural references are clear: This is a man who wants to be seen as a pillar of society. Historians examine portraits like this alongside other sources, such as letters, diaries, and business records, in order to get a fuller picture of the individual and the society in which he lived.