Portret van een staande man in uniform met pet 1862

This photograph of a uniformed man was made by Dandoy Frères, using the 19th-century process of chemical photography. Photographs are of course defined by their capacity to capture a likeness through a lens, and to reproduce that image. But they are also material objects, and their capacity to represent is always influenced by the materials used. In this case, the sepia tone comes from the developing process. It is a reminder of the alchemical aspect of early photography, and the strange, almost magical transformation of light into image. The photograph is small, and was likely intended to be kept as a personal memento. It is an intimate object, connecting us to a specific time and place, but also to the broader social and cultural context of 19th-century portraiture and the emergence of photography as a dominant medium. Considering this history allows us to move beyond conventional distinctions between art, craft, and design.