Portret van een meisje met sluier en boek tussen de handen 1876 - 1906

F. Meeus-Verbeke, a photographer who lived from 1845 to 1906, captured this image of a girl with a veil and book in hand. The portrait gives the impression of solemnity and restraint that was much admired during the Victorian era. It probably depicts the girl on the occasion of her First Communion. If so, it is reasonable to assume that the book she holds is a prayer book. The girl’s pristine clothing, the gauzy veil, and the book work together as visual indicators of the girl’s purity, devotion, and gentility. Photographs such as this one provide a fascinating record of social and religious practices of the time. A social historian might want to search church records, etiquette manuals, and family archives to better understand the traditions surrounding First Communion in the late 19th century. We can appreciate how such images like this can provide insight into the social and institutional context of the time.