Portret van een man met snor en baard 1850 - 1900

This is a portrait of a man with a moustache and beard made by mevrouw Gerstenhauer-Zimmerman. It's a photograph, a process that emerged in the 19th century as part of a much wider set of industrial developments. Photography was initially embraced by artists, especially portraitists, because it offered an apparently objective and mechanical alternative to painting, and it didn't require their skilled hand. As camera technology became more affordable and accessible, studios like the one operated by mevrouw Gerstenhauer-Zimmerman democratized portraiture. For the first time, a wider spectrum of society could document their existence and project their image. The very small size of this portrait suggests it may have been part of a larger collection of images. It is a reminder of photography's role in shaping personal and collective memory, and the way it has blurred the lines between art and craft.