Portret van Coba Roos 1883 - 1887

This photograph of Coba Roos was made by Albert Greiner in the 19th century, using a chemical process printed on paper. Photography in the 1800s was as much craft as science, requiring careful mixing of solutions, coating of plates, precise timing in exposure and development. Each print was a unique artifact, not an endlessly reproducible image like we know today. The tonal range and soft focus feel worlds away from the sharpness of digital photography. Consider the labor involved, not only by the photographer, but also in the industrial production of photographic materials. The paper, the glass plates, the chemicals: all made in factories, connecting this intimate portrait to a larger economic picture. Photography democratized portraiture to a degree, yet was still a specialized skill, and a signifier of status. Looking at this photograph reminds us that every image, even the most seemingly straightforward, is the result of complex technologies, social relations, and human effort. It bridges science and art, labor and representation, high and low culture.