Foto van Christoffel Bisschop 1868 - 1904

This portrait of Christoffel Bisschop was made by Antoine Johan Marinus Steinmetz in the Netherlands, using photographic methods. Photographs, like this one, are often taken for granted today, but they are material objects. Before digital photography, each image was the result of a painstaking, alchemical process, requiring darkrooms, harmful chemicals, and skilled labor to produce a single print. The sepia tones you see here are a direct result of the developing process. Photography democratized image-making, but even so, commissioning a portrait like this would have been a statement of middle-class success. While Bisschop's pose may seem static to our eyes, it would have demanded patience. The material conditions of photography in the 19th century required long exposure times and elaborate studio settings. So, next time you see an old photograph, consider the labor, materials, and social context that went into its creation. It might change how you think about the snapshots you take today.