Portret van een onbekende jonge vrouw, waarschijnlijk een dienstbode 1880 - 1910

This photograph of an unknown young woman, likely a maid, was taken by Roelof Pieters Lammers in the Netherlands, around the turn of the twentieth century. It's a modest image, but it speaks volumes about the social hierarchies of the time. Consider the visual codes at play. The woman's simple attire, including her apron and cap, immediately signal her social standing as a domestic worker. During this period, the Netherlands was undergoing rapid industrialization and urbanization, leading to a growing divide between the wealthy bourgeoisie and the working class. Photography studios, like Lammers', began to cater to a broader clientele, including those who sought to emulate the conventions of bourgeois portraiture. Further research into the socio-economic conditions of Dutch society, alongside archival material such as census records and employment statistics, can provide additional insight into this fascinating image and its reflection of the social structures of its time.