Portret van een onbekende vrouw 1897 - 1909

This photograph of an unknown woman was taken by Jannes Faber, sometime around the turn of the century. Photography, though now ubiquitous, was once a remarkable convergence of chemistry, optics, and industrial manufacture. The gelatin silver process seen here was popular then, owing to its high sensitivity and development speed. The card format was also widely favored. The photographic process involves a complex interplay of materials, from the glass plate negative to the developing chemicals and printing papers. Each choice in material and method leaves its mark on the final image. Consider the labor involved, not only in operating the camera and darkroom, but in manufacturing the equipment and materials. This ‘portrait tekenaar’, or portrait artist, was deeply embedded in systems of production and consumption. While the woman’s identity may be lost to time, the photograph itself remains a testament to the social and material conditions of its making. It reminds us that even seemingly straightforward images are shaped by the hands, tools, and technologies that bring them into being.