Portret van H. Thane Miller before 1895

This unassuming portrait of H. Thane Miller, found within the pages of a Young Men's Christian Association document, presents a figure of civic and religious importance. Miller's stern visage is framed by the trappings of his time: the suit, the bald head, the spectacles - each contributing to an air of upstanding authority. Yet, it is the book itself that speaks volumes. Consider how portraits throughout history have acted as talismans, meant to immortalize and propagate the values of the sitter. Miller's likeness, nestled within a tome dedicated to missionary work, evokes the long tradition of religious portraiture meant to inspire piety. Throughout time, we see this desire for preservation, a deep-seated yearning to hold onto the essence of a person or an idea. The portrait becomes a vessel, carrying the weight of memory and legacy. Miller's image, reproduced en masse, extends this impulse, seeding his influence into the collective consciousness. As such, this image transcends its immediate context, resonating with our primal need for remembrance.