Portret van Winifred Bonder Possibly 1904 - 1910

This is a photographic portrait of Winifred Bonder, made around 1904 by Herbert Lee. It is a mounted print, a method that was well established by this date. At this time, photographic processes were highly industrialized. Though it may appear to be a straightforward representation, this portrait sits at the intersection of art, science, and commerce. Consider the labor involved in the production of photographic materials, from the mining of raw materials to the factory production of paper and chemicals. The photographer himself would have been a skilled technician, using specialized equipment and knowledge to capture the image, and dark room techniques to process the image. The final print would have then been carefully mounted, framed, and sold as a commodity to be consumed. By recognizing these layers of material and making, we come to appreciate photography not just as a documentary medium, but as a deeply embedded cultural practice.