Portret van Jeanne Guétin als jong meisje 1872 - 1900

This is a portrait of Jeanne Guétin as a young girl, created by Jamin et Cie. using photographic processes. Photographs like these were more than mere likenesses; they emerged from a convergence of scientific innovation, industrial manufacturing, and entrepreneurial vision. The glass plate negative, sensitized with silver compounds, was the engine for a booming industry. Studios employed skilled technicians to manage lighting, posing, and chemical development. The carte-de-visite format, of which this photograph is an example, further democratized portraiture. These small, easily reproducible images were collected, traded, and displayed in albums, creating a social network of faces. Inexpensive to produce, they offered a tangible piece of modernity, a keepsake of a moment in time. Looking at this image, we can also appreciate the labor that went into it. Not just the photographer’s craft, but also the manufacture of the photographic materials, the printing of the cards, and the social labor that went into its circulation. This photograph, therefore, becomes more than just a portrait, it's a window onto the world of industrial image-making and social exchange.