Groepsportret van twee vrouwen en twee kinderen achter een wandelwagen c. 1887 - 1890

This is a photograph by John George Kirby, made in London, using the wet collodion process. This method, popular in the late 19th century, involved coating a glass plate with chemicals, exposing it in the camera while still wet, and then developing it immediately. The resulting image, like this one, has a distinctive tonal range and clarity. Look closely, and you can see the subtle imperfections and variations in the emulsion, which lend the print a unique texture and depth. The process required expertise, speed, and precision. Photographers had to be skilled in chemistry, optics, and darkroom techniques, all while working under challenging conditions. Photographs like this were more than just snapshots; they were carefully crafted objects that document the social and material conditions of the time. The clothing and the baby carriage, the setting, are testaments to the industry and labor involved in constructing a middle-class identity. The production of such images speaks to a society increasingly focused on visual representation and the commodification of everyday life.