Portret van een onbekende vrouw met een muts, zittend aan tafel 1857 - 1898

This is a portrait of an unknown woman with a cap, sitting at the table, made by P. Siewers & Zoon. The photo is a product of a particular historical moment when photographic technology was becoming more accessible but remained a specialized craft. Notice the woman's clothing, from the lace of her cap to the detailing of her dress. These clothes carry their own history of production, labor, and consumption. Lace, for example, was traditionally handmade, a laborious process that was gradually industrialized. Similarly, the fabric of her dress would have been produced and tailored, representing a complex network of labor. The portrait itself speaks to the rise of a middle class with enough wealth to commission personal photographs. It's a material document of social and economic shifts, as new technologies democratized image-making. Thinking about this photograph in terms of materials and making helps us consider its broader cultural implications.