Untitled (bust length portrait of clean shaven man labeled Homer Bartlett Richard, A.B. 1875) 1874 - 1875

Curator: Here we have an untitled, bust-length portrait of Homer Bartlett Richard, A.B. 1875, captured by William Notman. The mount measures about 16.5 by 11.1 centimeters. It seems small and rather formal. Editor: I notice the even, sepia tones lend a warmth to the image, but the composition feels stiff, almost staged in its presentation. Curator: Notman operated studios in Montreal, Toronto, and Halifax, achieving prominence in Victorian photography through portraits that reflected societal ideals. Consider how photographic studios were businesses, catering to a desire for status. Editor: Exactly, this format was clearly a manufactured commodity, a token of bourgeois aspiration rendered through specific chemical processes. The paper itself, and its eventual fading, speaks volumes about material degradation. Curator: The Harvard label suggests Richard was an alumnus; thus, this photograph might have served institutional or alumni purposes. Editor: It is a fascinating study of production, consumption, and the representation of class in the late 19th century. Curator: Indeed, it provides a glimpse into how visual culture reinforced social hierarchies of the period. Editor: The choices made during its production contribute to how we engage with it now.