[Henry Brittan Willis] 1860s

This albumen silver print of Henry Brittan Willis was made by John and Charles Watkins. It belongs to the world of commercial portraiture, a field dramatically changed by the invention of photography in the mid-19th century. Prior to this, painting was the only way to produce likenesses, yet it was costly and slow. Photography offered an alternative, allowing for the mass production of images on paper using relatively simple chemistry. As the negative/positive process was refined, studios like the Watkinses flourished, providing affordable portraits to a burgeoning middle class. Looking at the sepia tones and crisp details, we can appreciate how this process democratized image-making. It also offered new opportunities for skilled technicians to run photographic studios, making photography an increasingly industrialized art form. By considering the materials and processes, we see how photography changed the way we see ourselves and each other.