Portret van een vrouw 1870 - 1910

This photographic portrait of a woman was made by A. & G. Taylor. The absence of a date reminds us that the cultural meaning of a photograph is not always immediately apparent. Looking at the sitter's clothes and hairstyle, we might place this image at the end of the 19th century, a time of rapid social change in Europe and North America. Advances in photographic technology meant that owning a personal portrait became increasingly accessible to the middle classes. The woman's direct, but reserved, gaze speaks to the emergence of a modern ideal of individual identity. But who were A. & G. Taylor? Were they local photographers meeting the demands of a growing market, or were they part of a more established institution? Further research into archives of local business directories might reveal more about the studio's clientele, and the role of photography in constructing social status at the time.