Fotoalbum met 96 foto's van leden van Europese koninklijk huizen en van bekende Nederlandse en Duitse personen 1850 - 1900

This is a photo album containing 96 photographs of members of European royal houses, as well as notable Dutch and German figures. Created anonymously, the album is a window into the rigid hierarchies of 19th-century European society. The figures captured in these early photographic portraits were the architects of empires, wielding influence over vast territories and diverse populations. This album serves as a curated collection of power, immortalized through the lens of the camera. The formal nature of the portraits reflects the deliberate construction of identity and the performance of power that was central to aristocratic life. Consider the emotional implications embedded in these images. What did it mean to have one's likeness captured and preserved in such a manner? This album reflects the societal values placed on lineage, status, and the perpetuation of power. The very act of collecting and displaying these photographs speaks to a desire to document and celebrate a particular social order, revealing both the grandeur and the inherent inequalities of the time.