Prince [Napoléon Lucien Charles Joseph] "Joachim" Murat (1803-1878) c. 1855

Curator: Looking at this composite photograph by André Adolphe Eugène Disdéri, I feel a sort of quiet melancholy, like a series of passing moods. Editor: The multiple exposures do create an interesting effect. It reminds me of early mass production, this grid of images all derived from the same sitting, reproducible and readily available. Curator: It's Prince Murat, but he seems to be trying on different versions of himself, almost like costumes or masks. A touch of sadness perhaps? The way he holds his hat... Editor: I'm struck by the material limitations of early photography. The poses are stiff, dictated by the long exposure times needed. It really highlights the labor involved in image creation. Curator: The prince is caught between worlds, a yearning for something that seems just out of reach in each frame. Editor: And isn't it fascinating how the technology both reveals and conceals? A material process shaping the very image of aristocracy. Curator: I see a dance of identity. Editor: I see the birth of photo production.