Untitled [half-length portrait of a young man] 1852 - 1858

This is an ambrotype, a photograph made by Jeremiah Gurney, one of New York’s leading photographers. To make it, Gurney would have coated a glass plate with a light-sensitive emulsion, exposed it in a large-format camera, and then developed the image in a darkroom. The ambrotype, popular in the mid-19th century, was valued for its relative speed and affordability compared to earlier photographic processes. This one is presented in an elaborate case, lined with velvet. The gilded frame enhances the sitter’s status, giving us some idea of the social context of the time. Consider that this was an era when painted portraits were still the norm. Photography democratized image-making, allowing a wider range of people to have their likeness captured. This wasn't just about vanity, it was about participation in a rapidly modernizing world. The ambrotype, like other forms of craft, played a crucial role in shaping social identities.