Portret van een man 1880 - 1900

This photograph, "Portret van een man," was made by L. de Ferrari in Monte Carlo. It’s a small albumen print, a process popular in the 19th century that involved coating paper with egg white to create a glossy surface for the photographic emulsion. The albumen printing process, while seemingly simple, was labor-intensive. It required careful preparation of the paper and precise control over exposure and development times, showing a degree of technical skill to make a finished print with good tonal range and clarity. The high cost of photography at the time meant that it was a luxury primarily available to the middle and upper classes, and the man's attire reflects his social standing. This portrait therefore shows a convergence of photographic technique, material availability, and social stratification. It reminds us that even seemingly straightforward images are tied to wider issues of labor, economics, and taste.