Portret van een man met een snor in een jas c. 1857 - 1880

Woodbury & Page created this photographic portrait of a moustachioed man in a coat, sometime in the 19th century. What does it mean to preserve this image in a national collection like the Rijksmuseum? It seems important to ask who this man was, and why his likeness was deemed worthy of preservation. He wears the uniform of the European middle class, a dark suit, waistcoat and tie. The presence of a pocket watch indicates his financial security. His expression, along with the formal composition and sepia tones suggest a person of some substance. The image creates meaning through its visual codes, the cultural references to social class and historical associations with colonial structures. The photographer’s studio would have been an important institution in the colonial world. These spaces offered a service to European settlers and indigenous elites alike. Historical analysis of this image might include tracing the biographies of the photographers and the sitter, examining studio records, and historic trade directories. Ultimately, such research helps us understand the complex social and institutional conditions that shape artistic production.