[Man] 1843 - 1847

This photograph was made between 1843 and 1848 by the Scottish duo, Hill and Adamson. It is a calotype, an early photographic process, depicting an unknown man. In the early to mid-19th century, photography was more than just a new technology; it was a cultural phenomenon reshaping how people saw themselves and the world. The rise of photography coincided with growing social mobility and a burgeoning middle class in Europe. Photography provided a new means for individuals to document their lives and project their image to society. It democratized portraiture, which until then had been the preserve of the wealthy. The sitter's formal attire signals middle class respectability. Yet, as an art historian, the anonymous nature of the sitter is just as interesting. Who was he? What was his story? The details of his life may be lost to us, but through careful research into the archives of photographic societies and the social history of Scotland, we can shed light on the individual and the society that shaped him.