Portret van een jonge vrouw met opgestoken, krullend haar c. 1863 - 1870

Johann Georg Hameter made this portrait of a young woman using photographic methods characteristic of the late 19th century. The albumen print, mounted on card stock, was a popular format at the time, a tangible representation of the sitter during an era of burgeoning photographic industry. Looking at the image, notice the sitter's elaborate hairstyle and carefully chosen attire, all made possible by manufacturing of the industrial revolution. The very act of commissioning a photograph speaks to evolving social and economic dynamics, as photographic portraits became accessible to a wider segment of the population. The labor involved in producing this portrait is multi-layered: not only the photographer and the sitter, but also the factory workers who churned out the materials used to produce it. This convergence of artistry and industrial production reflects the complex relationship between creativity, commerce, and the changing social landscape of the time.