Portret van twee onbekende vrouwen 1885 - 1906

W.G. Kuijer & Zonen created this cabinet card photograph of two unknown women sometime in the late 19th century. It is a fascinating window into the social conventions of that era. The women's clothing, poses, and the very act of commissioning a photograph offer clues about their social standing and aspirations. In many Western societies, the late 1800s saw the rise of a middle class eager to emulate the manners and customs of the elite, and the emerging technologies of photography offered an affordable means of doing so. The women's plain but respectable dresses suggest a desire for dignified self-representation. The setting, likely a photographer's studio, further underscores the constructed nature of the image. Understanding the social and economic history of photography, as well as the history of portraiture more broadly, helps us interpret this image as a carefully crafted presentation of self. Such interpretations are based on an understanding of the visual culture of the time.