Portret van Maria Riozzi 1870 - 1890

Charles Binger made this photograph of Maria Riozzi using the wet collodion process, a dominant photographic technique of the mid-19th century. The process involved coating a glass plate with light-sensitive chemicals, exposing it in a camera, and then developing the image, all before the collodion dried. Each step demanded careful attention to detail, influenced by temperature, humidity, and timing, and the final image, printed on paper, has a distinctive tonal range and clarity. It was a labor-intensive and highly skilled process that democratized image-making, and gave rise to a culture of portraiture serving a wide range of social classes. In this context, the portrait of Maria Riozzi, identified as an Italian organ girl, becomes particularly poignant. Binger’s work offers a glimpse into the life of a working-class woman, capturing her likeness with dignity at a time when photography was becoming increasingly accessible. Photographs like this one, therefore, challenge traditional notions of art by linking photographic practice with social and economic realities.