[Betty Reynolds with Doll on Lap] 1883 - 1887

Thomas Eakins made this tiny photograph of Betty Reynolds with Doll on Lap, using a darkroom and photographic paper, sometime in the late nineteenth century. The photographic process itself is key to understanding this image. The chemical development gives the print its sepia tone and soft focus. This was a relatively new technology at the time, and the darkroom process lent itself to experimentation. Eakins was able to capture the intimate moment of a young girl quietly playing with her doll. Consider the labor involved in making this image. The artist had to be a master of chemistry, and a skilled manipulator of the camera and printing process. Making photographs like this one was a labor-intensive process, but it allowed Eakins to share a glimpse into everyday life and the quiet beauty of childhood. This reveals how the supposedly high art of photography was inseparable from craft and labor.