[Unknown Subject] 1860s

This is a portrait photograph of an unknown subject taken in the 1860s by the photographer M. Verveer. The image is a phototypie, an early photographic printing process, and is now housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. The subject is a man with long, flowing hair and a prominent beard, dressed in a dark suit. The image is a good example of portrait photography from the mid-19th century, when the genre was becoming increasingly popular as a means of capturing personal likeness and family history. The use of an oval frame surrounding the portrait emphasizes the subject's importance.