Portret van een kind c. 1870 - 1890

Editor: So, here we have a gelatin silver print from sometime between 1870 and 1890. It's a "Portret van een kind" by Johannes Ephraim. The image is faded and feels a little ghostly. I wonder, what strikes you most about this portrait? Curator: The fragility, certainly. Time softens everything, even memories trapped on photographic plates. It makes you wonder about this little person – their dreams, their fleeting existence. It’s a quiet, contemplative piece, don't you think? Almost like holding a whisper from the past. Editor: Definitely, there’s a poignancy. Was this type of portraiture common then? Curator: Child portraiture exploded in popularity as photography democratized art. Everyone, even working-class families, suddenly had a way to immortalize their loved ones. But beyond simple documentation, these portraits became poignant symbols. To me, these images say "Remember me," and in a larger sense, they echo all our fleeting childhoods. Editor: I suppose that explains why I felt such a strong emotion looking at this photo even before knowing any background details. What do you take away from this piece, personally? Curator: It's a mirror reflecting our shared human experience of time, loss, and remembrance. This child, long gone, now whispers across the decades, reminding us of our own precious, transient moment. Beautiful, isn’t it? Editor: It is. Thanks for shining light on how such an ordinary piece of photography can capture so much emotion and history.