Portret van Robert Fischer before 1869

This photographic portrait of Robert Fischer is pasted onto the flyleaf of a book from 1893. Though the photographer is unknown, the image speaks to a crucial moment in the industrialization of image-making. Photography, unlike painting or sculpture, is a process of mechanical reproduction. The photographer still composes the shot, but it is the chemical reaction of light on emulsion that fixes the image. Though the photographer is unknown, the image speaks to a crucial moment in the industrialization of image-making. The carte-de-visite format, popular in the mid-19th century, democratized portraiture. These small, affordable photographs made images accessible to a wider public, not just the wealthy. This portrait, pasted into a book, also collapses the distinction between fine art and the everyday, demonstrating how the means of production can shape cultural value.