Portret van een vrouw met een muts, leunend op een piëdestal c. 1913 - 1914

This slightly damaged gelatin silver print portraying a woman leaning on a pedestal, was captured by the anonymous American Automatic Fotografie. I look at her, posed with such formal elegance, and I wonder about her story. What was it like to sit for an automatic photograph? Did she choose the fluffy hat, or was it part of the studio's collection of props, and who was the photographer who captured this moment? I imagine the photographer adjusting the lighting, ensuring the focus was just right. The sepia tones give it a timeless quality. There’s a stillness and quietude that transcends its material form, inviting us to connect with a woman from a different time. The little flaws and imperfections in the photograph only add to its charm, reminding us of the artwork’s history and life. Each photograph is a conversation between past and present, a shared moment of seeing and feeling across time.