Portret van een man met bakkebaarden 1862 - 1881

Jacobus van Gorkom Jr. created this portrait of a man with sideburns using the wet collodion process, a popular photographic technique of the 19th century. This process involved coating a glass plate with chemicals, exposing it in a camera, and developing it immediately. The resulting image, known as an ambrotype or tintype, was a unique, one-off object. Each image is a result of a collaboration between the photographer's skills, the sitter's pose, and the unpredictable nature of the materials. Beyond its aesthetic qualities, the wet collodion process was also a product of its time, tied to wider social and economic forces. The rise of photography coincided with the industrial revolution and the growth of consumer culture. It democratized portraiture, making it accessible to a broader segment of society beyond the traditional elite. Looking closely at the material and production of this photograph helps us appreciate its historical context, reminding us of the skilled labor and technological innovation that went into creating even seemingly simple images.